Stunning before slaughter is intended to render poultry unconscious before killing, but the effectiveness of different methods varies significantly with important welfare implications.
The pre-slaughter period causes significant welfare stress for poultry through live shackling, inversion, and exposure to the slaughter line environment. Water bath stunning effectiveness depends on bird size, electrode placement, and electrical parameters, and inadequate stunning leaves a proportion of birds killed while conscious. Controlled atmosphere stunning eliminates shackling before unconsciousness and provides better welfare outcomes when correctly implemented. Effective pre-slaughter welfare requires attention to catching and transport, lairage, and stunning verification programs.