Pre-slaughter stunning of poultry is a critical welfare intervention, but existing methods vary enormously in effectiveness and a significant proportion of birds may be inadequately stunned globally.
The moments before and during slaughter represent the most intense welfare risk in the poultry production cycle. Birds shackled and hung upside down before stunning experience acute stress and pain. Inadequate stunning leaves birds potentially conscious during killing. Controlled atmosphere stunning using nitrogen or argon gas, where birds lose consciousness in their transport crates, eliminates shackling stress entirely and is considered the gold standard approach for poultry welfare at slaughter.