Wildlife Welfare

Agricultural Operations Wildlife Welfare

How routine agricultural operations including harvesting, tillage, and drainage affect wildlife welfare and what mitigations can reduce harm.

Key Facts

Mechanical harvesting kills ground-nesting birds, leverets, and other wildlife each year
Silent field operations allow wildlife to escape but some individuals are always killed
Mowing from the inside-out prevents escape by encircling wildlife in shrinking cover
Drainage operations destroy wetland habitat causing population-level welfare impacts
Twilight and night-time operations reduce wildlife mortality compared to daytime harvesting

Welfare Considerations

Agricultural operations cause direct welfare harm to wildlife through machinery-related killing and injury, as well as indirect welfare harm through habitat destruction and food depletion. Many of these impacts can be reduced through operational modifications - slower speeds, wildlife detectors, altered mowing patterns, and timing adjustments - that have minimal cost to farmers but significant welfare benefits for wildlife.

What You Can Do

Support farms that implement wildlife-friendly harvesting practices
Advocate for agricultural welfare mitigation measures to be included in farm support schemes
Engage with research on the effectiveness of wildlife safety measures in agricultural operations