Comparing electrical water bath, controlled atmosphere and head-only stunning methods for poultry and their welfare implications.
Poultry slaughter welfare represents one of the most numerically significant welfare challenges in the food system. The conventional water bath electrical stunning system requires birds to be hung upside down by their legs while fully conscious — an acutely painful and terrifying process — before receiving an electrical stun that is not always effective. The welfare case for systems that avoid live shackling is strong and supported by a growing evidence base. Controlled atmosphere killing, while eliminating shackling stress, introduces its own aversion burden depending on the gas mixture used. LAPS and nitrogen-based CAS represent better welfare profiles but require substantial capital investment that most producers have been slow to make without regulatory mandates.