Pig Slaughter Welfare Standards | Animal Welfare Hub

Pig slaughter welfare involves pre-stunning methods, handling in the lairage, and slaughter line management. Improving standards reduces the significant welfare burden at end of life.

Key Facts

Carbon dioxide stunning is the most widely used method for pigs globally
CO2 causes aversive responses during induction before insensibility is achieved
High-concentration CO2 causes distress lasting 15-30 seconds before unconsciousness
Alternative gases including argon and nitrogen inert gas mixtures cause less aversive responses
Lairage management including mixing unfamiliar pigs causes aggression and stress before stunning

Welfare Considerations

Pig slaughter welfare represents a significant area where current mainstream practice causes preventable suffering. CO2 stunning, while effective at achieving insensibility, involves an aversive induction period that causes respiratory distress. Research into alternative stunning gases and high-pressure CO2 systems shows reduced aversion. Lairage management changes including not mixing unfamiliar pigs reduce pre-slaughter stress. Consumer demand for higher-welfare pork products and regulatory review of CO2 stunning alternatives are the primary change levers.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from producers committed to higher-welfare slaughter practices
Support research into CO2 alternatives for pig stunning including argon and nitrogen systems
Advocate for regulatory review of minimum standards for pig pre-slaughter stunning
Reduce pork consumption to lower demand pressure on intensive slaughter systems
Support transparency in slaughter welfare data publication by operators and retailers