Farmers know that animal welfare is best understood by looking directly at the animals. Animal-Based Measures (ABMs) are indicators such as body condition, injuries, or behaviour that show how the sow and her piglets are coping with their environment.
In SOWtrack, ABMs are chosen because they:
Link to important welfare hazards and consequences.
- The linked welfare consequences have a high impact on pig welfare.
Are feasible to measure quickly and without disrupting routines.
Are sensitive to key welfare consequences.
By interpreting ABMs alongside basic farm context data (housing, group size, enrichment, etc.), SOWtrack will create a clear and practical way to compare welfare across different production systems.
