The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming contributes to antibiotic resistance that threatens both human and animal health, creating interlinked welfare concerns.
The welfare dimensions of antibiotic resistance are rarely discussed but significant. Resistant infections are harder to treat, cause prolonged suffering in animals before effective treatment is found or attempted, and carry higher mortality rates. Animals in crowded, stressful conditions are more susceptible to infections requiring antibiotic treatment — creating a cycle where poor welfare drives antibiotic use that in turn erodes treatment effectiveness. Higher welfare production systems that reduce stocking density and provide enrichment tend to use fewer antibiotics, demonstrating that welfare improvement and resistance reduction are complementary rather than competing goals.