Pig transport to slaughter is a high-welfare-risk activity involving multiple stressors that cause injuries, deaths, and acute suffering across hundreds of millions of animals annually.
Pig transport welfare encompasses multiple acute stressors compressed into a brief but intense period before slaughter. Fear from loading and handling, physical injuries from ramps and crowding, thermal stress, and dehydration compound across transport duration. The welfare case for minimum journey times and mandatory lairage standards is clear. Electric goad use causes acute pain and fear and is associated with increased injuries and pre-slaughter stress that affects meat quality as well as welfare. Controlled atmosphere stunning at the farm of origin eliminates most transport welfare concerns by avoiding live transport to slaughter entirely.