Livestock

Biosecurity and Animal Welfare on Farms

Disease outbreaks devastate both animal welfare and farm economics, but biosecurity measures themselves can sometimes restrict natural behaviours.

Key Facts

Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have led to mass culling of millions of healthy animals
Avian influenza biosecurity often requires keeping poultry indoors for extended periods
Good biosecurity reduces disease transmission and therefore reduces animal suffering
Stress from biosecurity restrictions can itself compromise immune function

Welfare Considerations

Biosecurity and welfare are intertwined: preventing disease protects animals from suffering, but strict biosecurity measures like prolonged housing can impair welfare by restricting natural behaviours. The key is designing biosecurity protocols that minimise disease risk while preserving as much behavioural freedom as possible. Vaccination programmes can reduce the need for extreme biosecurity restrictions.

What You Can Do

Support vaccination programmes as alternatives to mass culling
Advocate for welfare-conscious biosecurity protocols
Choose products from farms with good disease prevention records
Support research into disease surveillance that reduces culling events