The pre-slaughter period in abattoirs is one of the highest-risk periods for farm animal welfare, with lairage conditions, handling practices, and waiting times all having significant impacts on animal welfare outcomes.
Pre-slaughter handling represents a critical welfare period where poor practices cause significant preventable suffering. Animals that are fearful, exhausted, or injured from poor handling have worse stunning outcomes, potentially regaining consciousness before death. Social stress from mixing unfamiliar animals in lairage causes fighting injuries and chronic stress. Low-stress handling techniques developed by welfare scientists including Temple Grandin have transformed handling practices in many facilities, demonstrating that welfare-positive handling can also improve efficiency and meat quality outcomes.