Broiler chicken slaughter involves welfare risks at every stage from live hanging to stunning to cutting, with CCTV monitoring and technology improving consistency of outcomes.
Broiler slaughter welfare depends critically on the choice of stunning system and its consistent operation. Water bath stunning with inadequate parameters can produce birds that are stunned but recover consciousness before death. Controlled atmosphere systems are considered more humane because they avoid the stress of live shackling and provide more reliable insensibility, but adoption has been slow due to capital cost. CCTV has proven an effective accountability tool - abattoirs with mandatory CCTV show improved welfare outcomes compared to the period before its introduction. Consumer and retailer demand for higher-welfare slaughter certification drives investment in better systems.