Farm Animal Mortality: A Key Welfare Indicator

Mortality rates in livestock populations provide a welfare outcome indicator that aggregates disease, injury, and management quality into a single measurable metric.

Key Facts

UK broiler mortality rates of approximately 3-4% are considered normal in intensive systems
Dairy cow mortality averages 4-6% annually in high-producing herds
Sow mortality has increased in some countries as production intensity has risen
Mortality benchmarking across farms reveals variation that motivates improvement
Investigating high-mortality events reveals welfare problems requiring management intervention

Welfare Considerations

Mortality data is valuable precisely because it reflects the aggregate outcome of welfare management rather than compliance with input requirements. High mortality signals welfare problems regardless of whether inputs meet legal minimum standards. Benchmarking mortality against comparable operations and investigating deviations motivates welfare improvement. The challenge is that normal mortality rates in intensive systems may themselves represent welfare failures normalized by the industry.

What You Can Do

Support welfare schemes that require mortality data collection and public reporting
Advocate for mortality benchmarking to be part of all livestock welfare certification
Ask food companies about mortality rates in their supply chain livestock populations
Donate to research establishing what mortality rates indicate genuine welfare failure