Disease outbreaks requiring mass culling, fires, and floods cause mass casualties among farm animals, with welfare during killing operations often severely compromised.
Mass casualty events on farms expose a fundamental tension between biosecurity or emergency response and animal welfare. Ventilation shutdown, water-based foam, and other expedient methods cause prolonged suffering. Animals who survive initial culling attempts may endure hours of distress. Advance preparation — pre-positioned welfare-compliant equipment, trained personnel, and pre-approved protocols — can dramatically reduce suffering during unavoidable emergency responses.