Animal Welfare Metrics: Measuring What We Value

Developing robust metrics for animal welfare enables objective comparison of interventions, tracking of progress over time, and evidence-based prioritisation of welfare improvement efforts across species and systems.

Key Facts

Welfare metrics range from simple mortality rates to complex behavioural and physiological indicator suites
The Welfare Quality project developed validated welfare assessment protocols for cattle, pigs, and poultry
DISPLACE (Disease, Injury, Sentiment, Pain, Limitation, Anxiety, Comfort, Emotional state) provides a metric framework
On-farm welfare indices aggregating multiple measures enable benchmarking across farms and over time
Consumer-facing welfare labelling systems simplify complex welfare metrics into accessible purchasing guidance

Welfare Considerations

What gets measured gets managed - welfare metrics make abstract welfare concerns concrete and actionable. Farmers who score their herds or flocks on validated welfare indices identify problems they did not previously notice. Supply chain managers who require welfare metric reporting from suppliers create incentives for improvement. Policymakers who fund welfare metric development enable evidence-based regulation. The challenge is selecting metrics that genuinely reflect animal experience rather than proxy measures that can be gamed. Animal-based indicators that directly measure what animals experience are more robust than resource-based proxies that measure what is provided.

What You Can Do

Support organisations developing and validating animal welfare metrics
Advocate for welfare metrics to be embedded in farm assurance, supply chain, and regulatory systems
Engage with food labelling reform to improve the information welfare metrics provide to consumers
Support research connecting welfare metrics to actual animal experience and subjective states
Learn about welfare assessment frameworks to become a more informed advocate and consumer