App-y animals: Farmers use smartphones to keep track of livestock emotions

App allows farmers to describe positive and negative emotions seen in their animals, in a bid to ensure they are living an enriching life (Waitrose/PA)

Farmers are turning to technology to keep track of their livestock’s emotional state in a bid to improve animal welfare standards.

An app is being trialled which allows people to log emotionally expressive behaviour exhibited by dairy cows, veal calves, pigs, laying hens, broiler chickens and ducks.