Animal welfare

Animal welfare consists of many aspects, for instance including animal health and having the opportunity to satisfy behavioral needs. Livestock production systems must incorporate practices to protect animal welfare, as preventative medication and focusing solely on productivity do not always create high welfare standards.

A holistic approach to livestock farming

AFBI provides sound scientific evidence on the welfare of pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry. This involves multidisciplinary research programmes by AFBI scientists with expertise in topics such as animal behaviour and physiology, veterinary science, nutrition and metabolism. The challenge which AFBI seeks to address is to create sustainable livestock production systems that meet production targets and environmental requirements while safeguarding animal and human health and welfare. 

Animal welfare reports

Tail biting

Tail biting is one of the most pressing welfare problems in modern pig production and damage due to tail biting has a considerable financial impact.

A review of new knowledge on tail biting and tail docking