Systematic recording of on-farm mortality is one of the most powerful tools for identifying welfare problems in livestock production, yet reporting standards and follow-up actions vary widely across farms and countries.
High mortality in livestock indicates that many animals are dying prematurely from disease, injury, or management failures. The welfare of animals that die represents a welfare failure, but high mortality also indicates that surviving animals are likely experiencing the same conditions that killed their flock or herd mates. Mortality recording creates accountability and allows both farmers and regulators to identify welfare hotspots. Under-recording of mortality - whether intentional or from poor record-keeping - obscures welfare problems. Countries with mandatory mortality reporting and follow-up inspection systems show better welfare outcomes than those without.