The lairage period — time animals spend at the slaughterhouse before slaughter — is a critical welfare window that is often poorly managed, adding unnecessary suffering to farm animals.
Lairage welfare is a legally neglected area in many jurisdictions. Animals arriving at slaughter facilities are often stressed from transport, then held in unfamiliar environments with unfamiliar conspecifics, noise, smells, and temperature extremes. This suffering occurs in addition to the slaughter itself. Simple interventions — good stockmanship, CCTV monitoring, species-appropriate holding pens, and limits on mixing — can significantly reduce suffering in this final life stage.