Stockperson Attitudes and Farm Animal Welfare

The attitude and skill of the person caring for animals is one of the strongest predictors of farm animal welfare outcomes. Training and selection of stockpeople has profound welfare implications.

Key Facts

Research shows that stockperson attitude toward animals is a stronger predictor of welfare outcomes than housing system or management protocols alone
Fear of humans in farm animals, measurable by approach tests, correlates directly with stockperson handling roughness and attitude
Pigs raised by stockpeople with positive attitudes toward animals show lower cortisol and better growth rates
Training programmes that improve stockperson empathy and handling skills show measurable welfare improvements in the animals they care for
Burnout and poor mental health in stockpeople is associated with worse animal welfare outcomes and higher casualty rates
The human-animal relationship on farms is bidirectional; animals that trust their carers are easier and safer to work with

Welfare Considerations

Stockperson welfare and animal welfare are deeply interconnected. The person who spends most time with farm animals has more influence over their welfare than any system design or regulation. Investing in stockperson training, wellbeing, and professional development is one of the most leveraged welfare investments available to the industry. Yet stockpeople are often poorly paid, poorly trained, and poorly supported. Building a farm animal welfare system that takes the human-animal relationship seriously means taking stockperson welfare and professional development as seriously as animal welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support farm assurance schemes that include stockperson training and competency requirements
Advocate for stockperson welfare including fair pay and working conditions as a farm welfare issue
Learn about the research linking stockperson attitude to animal welfare outcomes
Choose products from farms with documented stockperson training and development programmes
Support research into training approaches that effectively improve stockperson empathy and skill