How poultry are stunned before slaughter has major welfare implications for billions of birds annually, with electrical water bath stunning and controlled atmosphere killing offering very different welfare profiles.
Poultry slaughter welfare is one of the highest-impact areas of farm animal welfare given the enormous numbers involved. Live shackling — hanging birds upside down by their legs before stunning — causes pain from inversion and wing flapping injuries before any stunning occurs. Water bath stunning carries risks of pre-stun electric shock. Controlled atmosphere killing systems that render birds unconscious without live shackling represent the most welfare-positive approach currently available and are increasingly adopted by welfare-committed producers. Consumer demand for certified higher-welfare slaughter systems is a meaningful lever for change given the scale of this welfare challenge.