Key features of 'environmental fit' that promote good animal welfare in different husbandry systems.

Abstract

In animal production there are two core dimensions to environmental fit, one that centres on the capacity of the environment to meet an animal's needs and the other concerns the capacity of the animal to match or 'fit' the environment. Efforts to increase capacity in both of these dimensions can contribute substantially to the continuous improvement of animal welfare within different livestock production systems. Achieving this will require an integrated approach that combines genetic, environmental and management strategies.