Livestock

Technology for Animal Welfare Monitoring: The Future of Stockmanship

New technologies including precision livestock farming and AI offer opportunities to improve animal welfare monitoring at scale.

Key Facts

Precision livestock farming uses sensors to monitor individual animal health and behaviour
AI systems can detect lameness, illness, and stress in cattle and pigs from camera footage
Accelerometers on dairy cows can detect oestrus, rumination, and lying time as welfare indicators
Acoustic monitoring systems can identify pain calls in poultry and pigs
Blockchain traceability systems are being developed to link farm welfare data to retail products

Welfare Considerations

Technology offers transformative potential for animal welfare monitoring but also carries risks. Automated systems may be used to optimise production efficiency rather than welfare. Data gathered on animals could be used to justify higher stocking densities if individual monitoring compensates. The gap between detection of welfare problems and actual intervention must be addressed. Technology should augment rather than replace skilled human stockpersonship.

What You Can Do

Support research into welfare-focused applications of precision livestock technology
Advocate for welfare monitoring data to be mandatory and publicly accessible
Encourage retailers to require farm welfare monitoring as a supply chain condition
Support training programmes that equip stockpeople to use monitoring technology effectively
Campaign for technology adoption requirements to focus on improving welfare outcomes not just productivity