Ensuring pigs are effectively stunned before slaughter is one of the most critical welfare interventions at end of life, with CO2 stunning remaining controversial due to the aversive experience it causes.
Slaughter welfare represents the final and irreversible welfare moment for farmed pigs. CO2 stunning, while operationally convenient, causes an aversive experience for a significant period before unconsciousness. Welfare science clearly indicates that pigs experience significant distress during CO2 induction. Alternatives including inert gas mixtures cause rapid unconsciousness with less apparent aversion. Improving slaughter welfare requires both regulatory reform to address aversive stunning methods and investment in facility upgrades to enable less distressing alternatives.