Emerging research links gut microbiome composition to animal welfare outcomes including stress response, immune function, and behavioral health, suggesting microbiome management as a welfare tool.
The gut microbiome represents an emerging dimension of animal welfare that bridges physical and behavioral health. Chronic stress in farm animals not only causes direct welfare harm but disrupts the microbiome in ways that perpetuate health problems and may affect behavioral welfare through the gut-brain axis. Early life microbiome establishment through appropriate maternal contact, colostrum, and early diet affects lifetime welfare. Management practices that support healthy microbiome development including avoiding prophylactic antibiotics, providing appropriate early nutrition, and minimizing stress may have long-term welfare benefits beyond their immediate effects. This represents a promising frontier for welfare science.