Precision livestock farming (PLF) uses sensors, cameras and AI to monitor pig welfare in real time. This emerging technology offers opportunities to detect welfare problems earlier than traditional observation.
Precision livestock farming technology offers genuine welfare potential through earlier disease detection - but only when the alert-action chain functions. A cough monitor that detects early respiratory disease 3 days before clinical signs are visible has welfare value only if the farmer responds to the alert with veterinary assessment and timely treatment. PLF systems that generate alerts that farmers routinely ignore - due to false positive fatigue, cost of veterinary visits, or lack of time - provide no welfare benefit despite impressive-sounding technology. The welfare impact of PLF is ultimately determined by the quality of the human response system, not the sophistication of the monitoring technology.