Slaughter is the final and most acute welfare event in a pig's life. Evidence-based stunning methods, calm handling, and minimising pre-slaughter stress can substantially reduce suffering at this critical stage.
Pig slaughter welfare presents genuine technological and economic tensions. CO2 stunning is efficient and low-maintenance but causes a period of aversive experience during induction that cannot be avoided — pigs resist and vocalise as CO2 concentration rises. Inert gas alternatives eliminate this aversion but require significant capital investment. Electrical stunning can be effective when applied correctly but recovery is rapid and stun-to-stick timing is critical. Welfare-positive slaughter requires combining improved stunning methods with calm pre-slaughter handling — pigs that arrive at the stun point having experienced fear, mixing aggression, or rough handling are already physiologically compromised. Training slaughterhouse workers in animal behaviour and low-stress handling produces measurable welfare improvements.