Chronic stress is a pervasive welfare problem in intensive livestock systems, with measurable physiological and behavioral consequences that reduce both welfare and productivity.
Chronic stress in livestock represents background suffering that is normalized in intensive production systems but is neither inevitable nor acceptable. The causes are generally well understood: insufficient space, barren environments, social instability, and poor human-animal relationships. Each is addressable through management and housing improvements. Making chronic stress visible through better welfare assessment is the first step to reduction.