Stockpersonship quality is the most important determinant of pig welfare outcomes within any given production system. Attitudes, knowledge and skills of those caring for pigs directly shape animal experience.
The quality of human-animal interactions is a determinant of pig welfare that operates independently of physical housing conditions. Pigs in identical housing environments show dramatically different welfare outcomes depending on the attitudes and behaviours of the stockpeople who care for them. Fearful pigs that avoid human contact have higher stress responses, reduced immune function and lower productivity. The relationship between stockperson attitude and pig fear is mediated through daily interaction quality - the frequency of negative interactions, the speed of movement around pigs, and the presence or absence of positive reinforcement contact. Investment in stockpersonship training therefore represents one of the highest-return welfare interventions available to pig producers.