Video: Introduction to on-farm welfare issues
Large scale farming
The large-scale farming of animals is a controversial issue. Some have concerns that the bigger the farm, the more likely it is that the welfare of the animals will suffer and they will be viewed as commodities rather than sentient beings.
We believe that any size of farm can have welfare issues if the conditions or management aren't adequate. It’s not the scale of production that has an impact on welfare, but the conditions the animals are kept in. We're against intensive farming, where animals are unable to perform their natural behaviours and their welfare is compromised as a result. Regardless of farm size, when an animal’s physical and behavioural needs are met, their welfare is protected.
All farms, large and small, need to apply high standards of management and stockmanship at all times. However, if something goes wrong on a larger farm, such as a disease outbreak or a problem with a water delivery system, a greater number of animals may be affected. Preventative measures and contingency plans relating to emergencies and disease control need to reflect the particular challenges of larger farms.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
We're worried about the widespread use of antimicrobials – antibiotics in particular. ‘Antimicrobials’ are medicines that kill or inhibit the bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that cause infectious diseases.
Some antibiotics are becoming less effective at curing bacterial infections and this is likely to have an effect on the health of humans and animals in the future.
Antibiotics should only be used when necessary and always used responsibly. We believe antibiotics should only be used to treat and cure sick farm animals or to control disease that’s spreading in groups of animals where some are already sick and others are likely to have already been exposed to the disease.
Chicken welfare and human antibiotic resistance
Chicken causes 70 percent of food poisoning cases in the UK. Research on the spread of campylobacter, a common infectious disease caused by bacteria, shows a concerning link between lower-welfare chickens and antibiotics becoming less effective in humans¹.
- Faster-growing, lower-welfare birds suffer more than slower-growing, higher-welfare birds when infected with campylobacter.
- Higher stress levels in chickens cause campylobacter to spread, putting meat-eaters at a greater risk of contracting the disease.
- Campylobacter is now developing alarming resistance to antibiotics, effectively putting human health at risk.
- Millions of farmed chickens are suffering.
- Essential human medication is becoming less effective.
The campylobacter bacteria is most often found in raw meat, such as poultry, beef and offal, and unpasteurised milk.
- Food Standards Agency (2021) Enhanced molecular-based surveillance and source attribution of campylobacter infections in the UK. Available at: https://www.food.gov.uk/research/foodborne-diseases/enhanced-molecular-based-surveillance-and-source-attribution-of-campylobacter-infections-in-the-uk (Accessed: 18 October 2023).