A different approach to poultry stunning that reflects welfare commitments from hatch to harvest.
For medium-scale organic poultry farms with on-site processing and farm shop sales, Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning (LAPS) offers an alternative to electrical waterbath and CO₂ systems — reducing live handling, simplifying operations, and aligning slaughter with the values that matter to you and your customers.
Who This Is For
This is for organic producers who:
-
- Process poultry on-farm
- Sell through farm shops or direct to consumer outlets
- Care about stress-free handling at every stage of life
- Want predictable, welfare-focused stunning outcomes
Featured Case: Sunworks Farm, Alberta
During a 2025 visit to Sunworks Farm in Alberta, Canada, we observed first-hand how LAPS integrates into an organic, high-welfare poultry processing workflow. Read the full case study here >>
Sunworks Farm has been raising certified organic livestock on pasture for decades, guided by holistic and humane principles. As Ron Hamilton, co-founder, shared:
“Hanging live birds versus using the LAPS stunner couldn’t be more different. The welfare benefit is incredible. Birds are calm, there’s no struggling, and the quality of the carcass is higher.”
How the system works?
At Sunworks Farm, birds remain in their transport modules throughout stunning — no live shackling, no handling immediately prior to unconsciousness.
LAPS steadily reduces atmospheric pressure inside a chamber, lowering oxygen availability until birds lose consciousness in a calm, controlled way.
This method:
- Eliminates the need for electrical shackling
- Removes high-concentration gas exposure
- Uses only controlled pressure changes and reliable power input
“There’s a lot of scepticism about poultry. But when people learn how we do things here — organic, free range, Certified Humane, processed right on the farm with LAPS stunning — they understand the difference.” — Ron Hamilton, Sunworks Farm
Visitors to Sunworks’ annual Farm Day consistently remark on transparency and care, especially when they learn how the processing system supports on-farm humane standards.
Practical Benefits for On-Farm Processors
Reduced Live Handling – Birds stay in transport modules until unconscious, reducing stress at a key point in the process.
Consistent Outcomes – Automated pressure control delivers repeatable results across batches when correctly managed and monitored.
Simplified Infrastructure – LAPS requires only electrical power and routine maintenance — no gas delivery, no complex waterbaths.
Workforce Wellbeing – Staff experience less physical handling and a calmer processing environment.
Your Customers Care Too
At Sunworks, talking openly about humane processing builds trust:
“When people learn how we do things here… they understand the difference.”
For organic farm shops and direct-to-consumer outlets, transparency around welfare fosters customer loyalty and aligns product experience with farm values.
Organic farming asks us to think systemically. From brood to butcher, welfare is not a checkbox — it’s an ethos. LAPS is a different way of aligning stunning practice with the care you already show your birds every day.
Your values deserve a process that matches them.
If you’d like to find out more please call us on 01379 872800 or fill out the form on the contact us page.