Assessing Ruminant Welfare on Farm

Animal welfare assessments on farms have been used to enforce minimum standards to maintain market access but have delivered limited improvement in the overall welfare of farm animals. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to incorporate animal welfare assessment into practice as a diagnostic tool for continuous improvement promoting the welfare of animals in production. Practical assessment of welfare does not have to emulate or duplicate audits that may already be done by outside parties to meet supplier contracts. A practical assessment, done correctly and consistently, incorporated into a herd health program can provide valuable insight to inform and prioritize efforts.