Slaughter is the final welfare moment for farm animals — stunning effectiveness, handling in the lairage, and the skill of operators determine whether death is humane or involves avoidable fear and pain.
Slaughter welfare determines the final moments of animals who have lived entire lives under human care. If stunning is effective, death is rapid and without pain. If stunning fails — through equipment malfunction, operator error, or inadequate voltage — animals may recover consciousness during killing procedures or experience significant pain from the killing cut before unconsciousness. The scale of global slaughter means that even small rates of stunning failure affect enormous numbers of animals. Mandatory CCTV, regular equipment maintenance and calibration, operator training requirements, and clear accountability for welfare failures are essential infrastructure for ensuring that the final welfare moment is humane.