Technology and Welfare in Farmed Animals

The use of technology in farmed animals has increased exponentially over the years, with a huge range of options available. This technology has the potential to improve productivity, such as through precise and continuous heat detection allowing correct timing for artificial insemination. Technology can also be used to monitor behaviour, and thus detect deviations which may be because of disease, resulting in early detection, treatment, and improved cure rates. The potential of technology specifically to improve animal welfare is of increasing interest to animal welfare researchers, veterinarians, and farmers. It is easy to see how improvements in health and productivity lead to improved welfare, but not if technology is replacing human input completely or inadvertently causing harm to the animals. This book explores the link between technology and welfare, and looks at the potential for technology to enhance welfare or to measure positive affective states giving evidence to improve the keeping of farmed animals. It covers advances in wearable technology, as well as environmental monitoring and disease detection aids across farmed cattle, calves, sheep, pigs and poultry.