Slaughter welfare for pigs is one of the most welfare-significant points in the pig's life. Understanding current practices and improvements helps direct advocacy.
Pig slaughter welfare is a scientifically contested but genuinely important welfare frontier. Carbon dioxide stunning - used in the majority of UK pigs - involves a period of aversive exposure during which pigs show clear behavioural and physiological signs of distress: breath-holding, hyperventilation, and frantic escape attempts. The welfare case for transitioning to low-oxygen or inert gas systems, which induce unconsciousness before aversion, is strong. The barrier is cost and equipment transition timescales. CCTV in abattoirs has improved monitoring and enforcement. Consumer and retailer pressure for abattoirs to adopt less aversive stunning methods is a powerful lever, as is veterinary oversight investment.