Providing environmental enrichment for farmed animals has economic as well as welfare benefits, challenging the assumption that welfare improvements reduce profitability.
The false dichotomy between animal welfare and farm profitability is increasingly challenged by economic analyses of welfare-based interventions. Enriched environments that allow pigs to root and explore significantly reduce tail biting injuries, which require costly treatment and cause carcass condemnation. For broiler chickens, enrichment that enables exercise reduces the leg disorder rates that reduce productivity and increase mortality. While initial investment in enrichment infrastructure has costs, the business case often supports these investments through improved performance and reduced losses. Building this economic evidence base is important for persuading producers to adopt welfare improvements.