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Animal Welfare

Animal welfare is a high profile ethical concern for the physical and mental well-being of animals under our care. Applying science to animal welfare helps ensure an objective evidence base for debates on animal welfare. However, translating public concern for animal welfare into scientific approaches is not straightforward especially where we need to assess the animals’ experiences. It is important that animal welfare is improved taking account of other societal concerns.

The overall purpose of SAC’s animal welfare is to provide sustainable solutions to farm animal welfare issues by developing:

  • A better understanding of the biological basis of animal welfare
  • Genetic or management solutions to important animal welfare problems
  • Scientifically valid yet practical methods of assessing animal welfare
  • Approaches to integrate animal welfare with other issues or concerns

Please follow the links below for more information about our work in these areas.

Key features of the research are:

  • Addressing public concern over animals’ experiences in farming systems
  • Developing inter-disciplinary research (e.g. linking biological and social sciences)
  • Working with consultants and others to ensure effective knowledge exchange

The figure illustrates these key features.

Biological Basis Of Animal Welfare

Work in this area is aimed at understanding animal welfare from the animals’ perspective in order to better provide for the animals’ needs.


Methods Of Assessing Animal Welfare

There is a need for welfare assessment measures that are scientifically validated, that address both the physical and psychological aspects of animal welfare, and that work under field conditions.


Genetic Or Management Solutions To Animal Welfare Problems

We aim to provide a biologically based understanding of how to improve or optimise target welfare traits through genetic or management strategies with benefits to the animal, farmer and environment:

  • Genetics: If we want to use genetics to improve animal welfare then we need to be able to identify and measure (phenotype) the target trait on a sufficiently large number of animals that we can apply genetic analyses techniques.

Animal Welfare Integration With Other Issues

SAC has an increasing interest in the interaction between the biology of animal welfare and social science.


Animal Welfare Projects


Animal Health & Welfare

SAC has expertise in farm animal welfare research.