Slaughter is a high-stakes welfare moment for pigs. Stunning method, handling at the lairage, and kill efficiency all affect the degree of suffering pigs experience at the end of their lives.
Pigs are intelligent, emotional animals. At slaughter, every aspect of the process — from lairage handling to stunning to bleeding — has welfare implications for animals that are aware, frightened, and in an unfamiliar environment. CO2 gas stunning, the most widely used method in large facilities, causes genuine distress during the extended period before loss of consciousness. Electrical stunning, when properly calibrated and applied, is faster and more humane. Lairage conditions — noise levels, crowding, handling quality, and waiting time — affect pig welfare in the hours before death. Improving slaughter welfare requires attention to the entire process, not just the stunning moment.