Most chickens slaughtered in the UK are now gassed to death using high concentration CO2, including from RSPCA-certified farms. When undercover footage of gassed chickens emerged, an RSPCA spokesperson stated in The Independent that “the birds in the footage were already unconscious and were not in pain,” despite behavioural signs of consciousness. In this study we examined relevant scientific evidence and concluded that this killing method causes severe and prolonged distress. Instead of defending such methods, we argued the RSPCA could assist in securing the replacement of CO2 stunning/slaughter with argon or nitrogen stunning/slaughter, which is much more humane. Full study: Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2026), https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1719226.
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