Routine antibiotic use in livestock farming drives antimicrobial resistance and masks underlying welfare problems. Reducing antibiotic use through improved welfare conditions benefits both animal health and public health.
The relationship between antibiotic use and animal welfare is bidirectional: high disease rates requiring antibiotic treatment indicate poor welfare conditions, while antibiotic use itself can mask welfare problems by suppressing symptoms. Farms that achieve low antibiotic use typically do so through welfare improvements — better housing, lower density, improved biosecurity, and attentive management — not simply by withholding treatment. Welfare certification schemes that include antibiotic use monitoring alongside physical welfare indicators provide the most comprehensive assessment. Supporting producers transitioning to lower-antibiotic systems incentivizes the welfare improvements that make such transitions possible.