The journey from farm to slaughter involves multiple welfare hazards for poultry. Understanding and improving each stage reduces suffering for billions of birds annually.
Poultry slaughter welfare involves a cascade of welfare-critical stages each offering opportunities for harm reduction. Mechanical catching systems for broilers cause fewer injuries than human catching. Good crate design, appropriate loading density, and temperature management during transport reduce stress and mortality. Minimizing time in lairage before slaughter reduces water deprivation. Effective stunning — by controlled atmosphere or electrical systems — must render birds insensible immediately before neck cutting. Each stage has been studied and welfare improvements have been validated. Implementing evidence-based improvements across all stages reduces cumulative suffering significantly.