The role of Precision Livestock Farming technologies in animal welfare monitoring: a review

Abstract

Precision Livestock Farming is the use of technology to help farmers monitor and manage their animals and their farm. Precision Livestock Farming technologies can be used to improve not only animal welfare and health, but also production. Automated measures reflecting the welfare of an animal can be related to its environment, and to the behaviour and physiology of the animal, as well as its position relative to environmental features. We need to ensure that the automatic measures we record reflect the type of behavioural or physiological changes we are interested in. Other aspects to consider are space and time, in terms of variable environmental conditions and animal-related changes that occur gradually. Different types of equipment can be used for measuring behaviour automatically, and these are either attached to, interacting with, or remote from the animal. A combination of these is often the most efficient method, but it is also more complex to manage. There are also species differences as to what is feasible. Small farms are unlikely to be able to afford the type of equipment used by larger enterprises, and we need to put more effort into finding Precision Livestock Farming technologies that can work for the smallholder. The use of Precision Livestock Farming technologies for efficient animal welfare monitoring in practice requires affordable, reliable, and easy-to-use equipment, providing data that reflect – adequately and in real-time – different aspects of the state of the welfare of animals within the herd.