Precision livestock farming technologies including accelerometers, computer vision, and automated health scoring are transforming the ability to monitor welfare at the individual animal level.
Precision livestock farming offers transformative welfare monitoring potential by enabling continuous, objective assessment of individual animals that would be impractical through manual observation. Early detection of lameness, mastitis, respiratory disease, and reproductive problems allows treatment before suffering becomes severe. Technology cannot substitute for good stockmanship, but it can extend the reach of skilled stockpeople across large herds. Challenges include data interpretation, false positive rates that create unnecessary interventions, and the risk that technology replaces rather than augments human observation. Integration of welfare outcome measures into precision systems creates accountability and enables evidence-based farm management.