Handling

3) Daily handling
Daily handling is of significance to how animals perceive handling at the time of killing. The size of the farm and the number of people moving around on the farm affect the extent to which the animals are used to humans. A large farm may result in the animals becoming used to lots of movement, but it may also involve subjecting them to more stressful factors. A small farm may mean that they are used to little movement on the farm. However, a small farm may also involve fewer disruptions and more time for staff to go round the animals, which can make them calmer.

4) Surrounding individuals
Surrounding individuals can stress and frighten other individuals. A frightened individual among other, calm individuals may frighten the calm individuals by means of noise, odour and movements. If the individual cries out in fear or in order to threaten another animal, this can cause other individuals to be wary. This frightened animal may also excrete odours which frighten adjacent individuals. A frightened individual which moves quickly in the cage may frighten the others, encouraging them to flee and hide in the cage, for example.

5) Handling at the time of killing
Finally, handling at the time of killing is of significance. Movements, lifting technique and noise influence how the animal perceives the killing. Of course, the equipment itself and how this is handled are also of significance, and you can find out more about this in the section on killing. The animals do not like fast movements and loud noises. Slow movements and quiet noises are perceived positively. How the animals are lifted, whether they are lifted gently or roughly, determines whether they perceive the situation as more or less positive or negative. Despite attempts to make killing as gentle as possible, the situation may nevertheless be stressful for the animals.