Full title: Opinion of the FRCAW on the use of a livestock trailer as a lairage facility for kids prior to slaughter – case study
Requested by: Office for Slaughter and Cutting Establishments (BEAD) of the General Directorate for Food (DGAL), French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Date of request: 06/06/2025
Date delivered by the FRCAW: 05/09/2025
DOI: 10.17180/RCRJ-FM10
Context
The European regulations (ER 853/2004) require abattoirs to provide lairage facilities for live animals. In the case of on-farm abattoirs in France, the farm buildings are permitted to fulfil this function (DGAL Technical Instruction 2025-12). However, some farmers use the services of abattoirs that are close but not directly adjacent to their farms. In such cases, the animals must be transported to the abattoir, which precludes the possibility of making use of the farm’s buildings for lairage.
The present opinion examines the particular case of a kid farmer whose abattoir is located one kilometre from his farm, and assesses the possible benefits or drawbacks in terms of animal protection to treating the livestock trailer as a lairage facility (in the sense of the regulations) where kids can be held prior to slaughter.
Main findings and conclusions of the FRCAW
- A list was drawn up of criteria to ensure the protection of the welfare of kids held in lairage, whether in a livestock trailer or in lairage facilities as referred to in the regulations. This list enables the potential added value of keeping kids in a livestock trailer to be assessed, identifying the advantages and the ‘vigilance points’ of this form of accommodation compared with lairage facilities as referred to in the regulations. The criteria are divided into five categories: environment, personnel, equipment, methods and animals. They take account of the current regulatory requirements together with complementary scientific recommendations.
- This list applies only to unweaned kids 45 to 60 days of age who are suckling from their own mothers and are either held in a lairage facility or are free to move around the inside of the livestock trailer without restraint (not confined to containers or pens). Its validity is limited to on-farm abattoirs not using a mechanical conveyor system, located in Corse-du-Sud (Southern Corsica), and which slaughter only kids raised on their own farms.
- Within the context of the specific case study examined here, the FRCAW takes the view that there is a theoretical benefit to the holding of kids in a livestock trailer, in that this allows the stress experienced by the animals to be mitigated by reducing the amount of handling required and the animals’ exposure to unfamiliar surroundings. Nevertheless, many ‘vigilance points’ must be taken into account to guarantee the protection of the animals: kids must have sufficient space, their thermal comfort must be ensured, and good air quality must be maintained in the trailer.
- This theoretical benefit needs to be confirmed directly on the ground, making sure that all of the criteria on the list are met in practice.
