Genetic engineering of animals for agriculture, medicine, and conservation raises welfare questions about unintended health consequences, enhanced suffering capacity, and the limits of acceptable modification.
Genetic engineering welfare questions operate at multiple levels. Modifications that directly affect health - accelerated growth, hornlessness - have clear welfare implications that must be evaluated case by case. Faster-growing salmon may develop the same musculoskeletal problems as fast-growing broiler chickens. Hornless cattle, if the genetic change is clean, provide a genuine welfare benefit by eliminating the need for dehorning. The precautionary principle suggests that any genetic modification with potential health consequences requires robust welfare assessment before commercial deployment. The regulatory frameworks governing precision breeding must incorporate welfare evaluation as a core requirement.