How does the welfare of farmed animals affect productivity, and how is it judged?
The costs and benefits of intensive and free-range farming, the link between animal welfare and productivity, the use of indicators of poor welfare such as stereotypy and misdirected behaviour, and how observed behaviour is used to assess the welfare of farmed animals.
An SQA Higher Biology answer on animal welfare, covering the costs and benefits of intensive and free-range farming, the link between welfare and productivity, and indicators of poor welfare such as stereotypy, misdirected behaviour, failure in sexual behaviour and altered activity.
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What this key area is asking
The SQA wants you to weigh the costs and benefits of intensive and free-range farming, explain the link between animal welfare and productivity, describe indicators of poor welfare, and explain how observed behaviour is used to assess welfare.
Farming systems: costs and benefits
Good welfare also has a practical benefit: stressed or unwell animals often grow more slowly, reproduce less and are more prone to disease, so poor welfare can reduce productivity. This means the choice between farming systems is not only an ethical question but also an economic one, because a system that harms welfare can lower output and raise veterinary costs.
Indicators of poor welfare
Behavioural indicators that welfare is poor include:
- Stereotypy - repetitive movements with no obvious goal, often seen in confined animals.
- Misdirected behaviour - normal behaviour aimed at the wrong object, such as over-grooming or feather pecking in hens.
- Failure in sexual or parental behaviour - animals not breeding or not caring for their young normally.
- Altered levels of activity - either very high (restless agitation) or very low (apathy and dullness).
These indicators are useful because they can be observed without harming the animal, and they often appear before any visible illness, giving an early warning that conditions need to change.
Assessing welfare from behaviour
To assess welfare, an observer compares an animal's behaviour with the normal behaviour of that species in good conditions. A clear difference, such as the indicators above, suggests the animal's needs are not being met. The farmer or scientist can then change the system, for example by giving more space, enrichment or company, and check whether the behaviour returns towards normal.
Examples in context
Example 1. Battery cages and the move to free-range eggs. Hens kept in cramped battery cages often show stereotypy and feather pecking, clear signs of poor welfare. Concern about these indicators led many countries to ban barren battery cages and move towards free-range and enriched systems, where hens can dust-bathe, perch and forage. Although free-range eggs cost more to produce, the change reflects the weighing of welfare against the lower costs of intensive systems.
Example 2. Sow stalls and stereotypy in pigs. Pregnant sows confined in narrow stalls frequently show bar-biting and sham-chewing, stereotypies linked to frustration and poor welfare. Studies comparing this behaviour with that of group-housed sows provided the evidence behind bans on sow stalls in several countries. The example shows how careful observation of behaviour against the species norm directly shaped farming regulation.
Try this
Q1. State two indicators that a farmed animal has poor welfare. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: stereotypy, misdirected behaviour, failure in sexual or parental behaviour, altered activity levels.
Q2. Explain how poor welfare can reduce the productivity of farmed animals. [2 marks]
- Cue. Stress and disease can slow growth, lower reproduction and increase illness, reducing output.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 20184 marksDescribe two indicators of poor welfare in farmed animals, and explain how observing behaviour is used to assess welfare.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark answer needs two indicators plus the assessment method.
Stereotypy is a repetitive, purposeless behaviour, such as pacing or bar-biting, shown by animals in poor or restrictive conditions.
Other indicators include misdirected behaviour (normal behaviour aimed at the wrong object, such as feather pecking), failure in sexual or parental behaviour, and altered levels of activity (either very high agitation or very low apathy). Any two of these gain the marks.
To assess welfare, an observer compares the animal's behaviour with the normal behaviour of that species. A clear difference, such as the indicators above, suggests the animal's needs are not being met and the system can be changed to improve welfare.
Markers reward two valid indicators and the idea of comparing observed behaviour with the species norm.
SQA Higher 20223 marksCompare intensive and free-range farming in terms of cost, productivity and animal welfare, and explain why good welfare can benefit productivity.Show worked answer →
A 3-mark answer needs a comparison plus the welfare-productivity link.
Intensive farming keeps animals at high stocking densities, which can lower costs and increase output but may reduce welfare. Free-range and extensive systems allow more natural behaviour and better welfare but generally cost more and use more land.
Good welfare can benefit productivity because stressed or unwell animals often grow more slowly, reproduce less and are more prone to disease, so poor welfare can actually reduce output.
Markers reward the cost, output and welfare comparison and the explanation that poor welfare can lower productivity.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Biology Course Specification — SQA (2018)