On-farm welfare assessment tools enable systematic measurement of animal welfare across herds and flocks, providing baseline data for improvement and supporting welfare certification schemes.
On-farm welfare assessment represents the bridge between welfare science and practical welfare improvement. The most rigorous tools use animal-based measures that directly assess animal state rather than relying solely on resource provision proxies. However, assessment is only valuable if it drives improvement - the audit relationship between assessor and farmer must be collaborative rather than punitive to motivate genuine change. The development of digital tools enabling farmers to conduct regular self-assessment between formal audits extends the welfare monitoring timeline and enables earlier identification of emerging problems.