Corncrakes were widespread across Britain a century ago but declined dramatically with mechanised hay cutting. Recovery has been achieved through delayed cutting schemes and crofting support in Scotland and Ireland.
Corncrake welfare illustrates how agricultural machinery causes acute welfare harm that is largely invisible -- chicks killed in moving silage or hay machinery die deaths that are never witnessed or counted. The delayed cutting scheme prevents these deaths by ensuring chicks have fledged before cutting begins. This is a direct welfare intervention that was made economically viable by conservation payments to farmers. The corncrake recovery story demonstrates that agricultural welfare harms can be addressed through economic incentives that make welfare-compatible farming financially attractive.