Precision livestock farming uses sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor individual animals and detect welfare problems early, potentially transforming farm animal care.
Precision livestock farming has the potential to fundamentally improve animal welfare on commercial farms by enabling earlier detection of health problems, individual-level care, and objective welfare assessment at scale. Technologies including wearable sensors, computer vision, and machine learning can detect early signs of lameness, respiratory disease, and psychological distress before they become severe. However, technology is a tool — its welfare impact depends on how farms respond to the data it generates. Integration of welfare alerts into management protocols, combined with adequate staffing and veterinary support, determines whether precision technology translates to genuine welfare improvements.