Avian influenza outbreaks trigger mass culling of commercial poultry flocks to prevent spread. The welfare of billions of birds culled during outbreaks raises urgent questions about culling methods and prevention.
Mass culling of poultry during avian influenza outbreaks creates acute welfare emergencies affecting millions of birds simultaneously. The choice of culling method under emergency conditions profoundly affects welfare: ventilation shutdown involves heat-induced distress and death over hours, causing significant suffering before unconsciousness. Nitrogen gas or foam depopulation methods are faster and less distressing when properly applied but require equipment not always available on short notice. The scale of culling operations during major outbreaks means that even modest per-bird welfare improvements represent enormous aggregate reductions in suffering. Investment in stockpiling welfare-positive emergency culling equipment before outbreaks occur, combined with improved biosecurity reducing outbreak frequency, represents the most impactful welfare intervention.