Mortality rates on livestock farms are both welfare indicators and evidence of management practices that need addressing.
On-farm mortality is the bluntest welfare indicator: animals suffering enough to die. High mortality rates represent a welfare failure of significant scale — the animals who die often die slowly, from conditions that were preventable or treatable if identified earlier. Mortality recording and analysis reveals patterns that guide management improvement: which disease, which age group, which housing area, which season. Using mortality data proactively — rather than merely recording it — converts a lagging indicator into a leading welfare management tool.