Australia's largest pig slaugterhouse, in Corowa NSW, owned by Rivalea Australia.
World-first footage shows just how "humane" the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas chambers used to stun the majority of Australian pigs really are.
For context, the whole process is shown between 0:00 and 1:46 from the different angles. Pigs are herded into a cage within the gas chamber by an electric cattle prod. The cage door shuts behind them and they are lowered into the gas. Once the cage reaches the bottom of the chamber it comes back up the other side and tips the pigs out onto the shackling table, and the cage then returns to the original position. There are 5 or 6 cages in the chamber, each taking an average of 3 pigs at one time. Approximately 2000-3000 pigs are killed each day in this highly mechanised, impersonal manner.
Many different instances are shown of pigs suffocating within the chamber - these are taken from roughly one hour of footage. The footage of the rest of the day shows exactly the same suffering. They are clearly panicked; thrashing and screaming for air (some instances show this clearer than others).
Several instances are shown of pigs being forced into the gas chamber. Many more instances are available, most show excessive use of the electric prodder, and the clearly panicked reactions of the pigs who often will try to jump out of the race rather than go into the chamber where they can hear other pigs suffocating. A few incidents of note:
- After one pig has tried several times to jump out, the worker uses the electric prodder on his face, then holds it inside his ear for 12 seconds while the pig screams.
- The worker jabs the pig in the face with the electric prodder multiple times; the door to the chamber doesn’t even seem to be open as more pigs are shortly afterwards let into the room.
- A large tumour/growth can be seen on the underside of a pig. These growths are seen many times in the footage of the shackling table, which has not yet been released.
- A lame pig crawls into the room; it appears as though one or more legs may be broken or injured. Using the electric prodder the worker tries repeatedly to get him to enter the gas chamber, before jumping in, kicking him in the neck, and trying to push him in from behind. Eventually he gives up and tosses the pig aside. For the next 12+ minutes, the pig lies there getting trampled by the other pigs entering the chamber. Eventually the pig is forced into the chamber and dies like all the others.
- After repeatedly trying to force a pig (out of view of the camera) to take the final steps into the gas chamber, the worker tries to force the door shut on him, but he escapes back out. The worker turns the prodder around and smacks the pig with the handle, then zaps him out of anger (the door to the chamber is closed).
