A range of current and emerging technologies improve livestock welfare monitoring and intervention capacity; understanding their capabilities and limitations guides effective adoption.
Technology for livestock welfare monitoring is advancing rapidly, providing new capabilities for early welfare problem detection and intervention. Computer vision body condition scoring removes observer variation and enables continuous monitoring; environmental sensors detect welfare-relevant conditions before they become emergencies; AI-assisted behaviour analysis from video provides welfare assessment without the labour constraints of direct observation. These technologies complement rather than replace skilled human observation — the integration of technology with expertise provides the most comprehensive welfare monitoring.