Electrical water bath stunning of poultry must meet specific parameters to reliably render birds unconscious before killing, with welfare implications if parameters are inadequate.
Inadequate electrical stunning causes birds to be killed while conscious - an acute welfare failure. Compliance with minimum current parameters does not guarantee all birds are effectively stunned due to shunting and variable resistance. Regular monitoring of stunning effectiveness is essential. Controlled atmosphere systems that render flocks unconscious before hanging are considered higher welfare as they avoid the conscious live-hanging phase.