Breeding decisions in livestock production have profound welfare consequences that require explicit welfare objectives in selection programs.
Livestock genetics is one of the most powerful and underutilised tools for welfare improvement. Decades of selection purely for production traits have created animals whose welfare is structurally compromised. Incorporating explicit welfare traits into breeding objectives, including resistance to common diseases, functional health, and longevity, can shift genetic trajectories toward animals that are healthier and better able to express natural behaviour.