Pain recognition and management in growing pigs is essential for welfare but challenging in large commercial groups where individual assessment is difficult.
Pain in growing pigs presents particular recognition challenges because normal pig behaviour in groups makes individual assessment difficult. Group-housed pigs that are lame, injured or ill may be penalised by competition for resources before their condition is detected. Validated pain assessment tools allow standardised recognition across farms and stockpeople. The economic case for treating pain in growing pigs is strengthened by evidence that painful conditions reduce feed conversion efficiency, making welfare improvement and productivity aligned goals.