The quality of human-animal relationships on farms significantly affects animal welfare outcomes, with positive stockmanship linked to lower fear, better health and improved productivity.
Stockmanship quality is a modifiable welfare factor that receives insufficient attention relative to physical environment. Animals living in chronic fear of humans experience ongoing negative affective states regardless of other housing parameters. Positive stockmanship - calm handling, positive approach, appropriate contact - creates human-animal relationships characterised by neutral to positive valence rather than fear. Training programmes that improve stockperson attitudes and handling skills demonstrate measurable welfare improvements, making them high-value welfare interventions with relatively low implementation costs.