Automated behaviour monitoring systems including activity sensors, rumination monitors, and GPS trackers provide continuous welfare-relevant data that manual observation cannot replicate.
Precision livestock farming technology creates new possibilities for welfare monitoring that continuous manual observation cannot provide. Sensors worn or incorporated into feeding systems monitor individual animal behaviour 24 hours a day, identifying deviations from baseline that indicate welfare-relevant health changes before they become obvious. Early intervention enabled by these systems reduces the severity and duration of welfare-significant health problems. The same data also supports disease management and reduces antibiotic use.