Antibiotic use in livestock production raises concerns about antimicrobial resistance and animal welfare. Reducing prophylactic antibiotic use requires underlying welfare improvements that address the root causes of disease.
The relationship between antibiotics and welfare is bidirectional: poor welfare causes disease requiring antibiotics, and antibiotic dependence can mask welfare problems that need addressing. The most sustainable path to antibiotic reduction runs through welfare improvement — better housing, nutrition, genetics and management that reduce disease pressure in the first place.