Pre-slaughter stunning methods for poultry have significant welfare implications, with controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) increasingly recognized as superior to water bath electrical stunning on welfare grounds.
Poultry stunning welfare is an area where a superior welfare method (controlled atmosphere stunning) exists but faces commercial adoption barriers despite clear welfare advantages. Water bath electrical stunning requires shackling conscious birds, exposing them to acute pain and distress before stunning, and the failure rate means some proportion of birds enter scalding tanks while conscious - a catastrophic welfare failure. CAS methods eliminate shackling of conscious birds and can achieve higher effective stunning rates when properly managed. The welfare case for CAS adoption is clear, and consumer and retailer demand is the primary driver of the transition from water bath to gas-based systems.