Transport to slaughter is one of the most welfare-critical phases of pig production, causing fear, injury and death through a combination of mixing, loading stress, journey conditions and temperature extremes.
Transport causes predictable, preventable suffering that occurs at massive scale. The sequence of welfare insults begins at loading: electric prods used to move reluctant pigs cause acute pain; ramps and flooring that cause slipping create fear and injury; and the noise, vibration and unfamiliarity of transport vehicles cause sustained physiological stress responses. Mixing unfamiliar pigs — inevitable when animals from multiple sources are combined for transport — triggers aggressive fighting that causes lacerations, torn ears and exhaustion. Journey conditions — temperature, humidity, stocking density and duration — determine whether physiological stress tips into heat stroke or cold stress. Pre-slaughter lairage provides rest opportunity but is often poorly managed, with staff shortages, inadequate water provision and further mixing. The cumulative stress of this journey degrades welfare profoundly and also impairs meat quality through glycogen depletion and cortisol-driven tissue changes — creating a rare convergence of welfare and commercial interest in improvement.