Precision livestock farming uses sensors, cameras and AI to monitor animal behaviour and health. This technology has significant potential to improve welfare detection and response at scale.
Precision livestock farming represents a genuine opportunity to improve farm animal welfare at scale, but its welfare benefit is not automatic. Technology that detects early signs of disease or injury only improves welfare if linked to timely human action. Farms with PLF systems but without clear protocols for responding to alerts do not necessarily achieve better welfare outcomes. The most welfare-significant PLF applications enable detection of problems before they become severe — early lameness detection, respiratory disease alerts, tail biting warnings and heat stress monitoring. The challenge is integrating PLF into farm culture as a welfare tool rather than primarily a production optimisation platform. Welfare certification schemes that require PLF-based monitoring and response could drive this integration.