The journey from farm to abattoir and the lairage period before slaughter are high-risk periods for pig welfare. Stress, mixing with unfamiliar pigs, and the abattoir environment create cumulative welfare challenges requiring careful management.
Transport and lairage represent the final welfare challenge before slaughter, and the cumulative stress of these processes compounds any prior welfare costs from farm conditions. Pigs arrived at abattoir in poor welfare states experience greater suffering during the final hours of their lives. Economic incentives for good pre-slaughter welfare (reduced aggression-related carcass damage, better meat quality from lower stress) align with welfare goals in this context. Investment in journey time reduction, good lairage facilities, and well-trained handlers pays for itself.