The period between arrival at the slaughterhouse and slaughter is a significant welfare challenge for poultry. Temperature, wait times, and handling during this period affect welfare and meat quality for billions of birds.
Pre-slaughter welfare in poultry represents the culmination of welfare challenges accumulated throughout the production process. Birds arriving at slaughter plants are already stressed from catching and transport and face additional thermal, auditory, and handling stressors in the slaughter plant environment. Holding in containers without shade in warm weather causes heat stress and mortality. The inability to access water after a transport period causes thirst distress. The stress state of birds at slaughter affects both their welfare during the final period of life and the quality of the end product, creating aligned commercial and welfare incentives for improvement. Controlled atmosphere stunning systems that process birds in their transport containers are a significant welfare advance eliminating many lairage stressors.