Foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks trigger mass culling of livestock on welfare grounds, but the culling process itself carries significant welfare implications that depend heavily on method, speed, and implementation.
FMD creates a double welfare crisis: the disease itself causes significant suffering through painful oral ulcers, foot lesions, and mastitis; and the culling response, while intended to be welfare-protective at the population level, imposes acute suffering on individual animals if poorly performed. Animals waiting for culling during outbreaks may experience prolonged fear and distress from the presence of dead herd-mates and disrupted management routines. Mass culling operations under emergency conditions frequently see welfare compromises due to speed pressures, operator fatigue, and equipment limitations. Pre-vaccination strategies that reduce the need for mass culling represent both a welfare improvement and a more proportionate response to disease management.