The microbiome of farmed animals influences their health, welfare, and productivity in ways that are increasingly understood and practically important.
The livestock microbiome is an emerging frontier in welfare science because microbiome health affects immune function, stress responses, and behavioral welfare in ways that connect directly to welfare outcomes. Early antibiotic disruption of microbiome development can have lasting effects on stress reactivity and disease susceptibility. Management practices that support microbiome health — social housing, diverse diet, minimal antibiotic use — also tend to improve welfare outcomes more broadly, creating additional evidence for integrated welfare management approaches.