The welfare of farm animals at end of life, including humane euthanasia decisions and on-farm death management, is a significant and often overlooked welfare dimension.
Farm animal end-of-life welfare is shaped by the practical and cultural barriers to timely humane euthanasia. Animals that are visibly suffering but whose death will represent a financial loss sometimes receive delayed euthanasia decisions, causing extended unnecessary suffering. Training stockpeople in recognizing when an animal's welfare cannot be maintained, and equipping them with appropriate euthanasia skills and tools, directly reduces this suffering. Veterinary availability for euthanasia is often limited on farms, making trained stockperson capacity essential. Welfare standards that explicitly address euthanasia timing - requiring that animals unable to eat, drink, or move without assistance be euthanized promptly - provide clearer guidance than subjective assessment.