Farmed Animals

Biosecurity as an Animal Welfare Tool

Good farm biosecurity protects livestock from infectious disease, making it a critical welfare intervention as well as a production tool.

Key Facts

Disease prevention is more welfare-positive than treatment of established illness
Quarantine of new animals for a minimum of 4 weeks prevents introduction of new pathogens
Visitor and vehicle disinfection reduces the risk of disease introduction
Integrated pest management reduces rodent and bird vectors of livestock disease
Written biosecurity plans are required in some farm assurance schemes

Welfare Considerations

Biosecurity measures protect livestock welfare by preventing the introduction and spread of infectious diseases that cause pain, debilitation, and death. Good biosecurity is fundamentally welfare-positive because preventing disease is always preferable to treating it. Building welfare considerations explicitly into biosecurity programs, including welfare outcomes from disease prevention, strengthens the case for investment.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards that require written biosecurity plans on farms
Advocate for biosecurity training as part of farm certification requirements
Raise awareness about biosecurity as a welfare as well as production tool
Support research into cost-effective biosecurity measures for different farm systems
Encourage farms to adopt AHDB and RSPCA biosecurity guidance