Farmed Animals

Pain Assessment in Commercial Pig Farming

Recognising and managing pain in pigs is essential for welfare in commercial production systems but remains underimplemented.

Key Facts

The Piglet Grimace Scale is a validated tool for assessing pain in young pigs
Body posture, gait, and facial expression are used in validated pig pain assessment protocols
Pain from tail biting lesions, lameness, and disease is often inadequately treated on farms
Stockpersons trained in pain recognition intervene earlier and provide better welfare outcomes
Analgesic availability and willingness to use is a key barrier to pain management in pig production

Welfare Considerations

Pain recognition and management in pig production lags behind the understanding of pig pain capacity that welfare science has established. Validated assessment tools exist for piglets and adult pigs but are not routinely used in commercial settings. Training stockpersons to recognise pain, improving analgesic access, and embedding pain management protocols into routine husbandry would significantly reduce suffering.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards that require pain assessment training for pig stockpersons
Advocate for improved analgesic access and use protocols in pig production
Raise awareness about the availability of validated pig pain assessment tools
Support research into novel pain assessment approaches for commercial pig settings
Encourage farm vets to integrate pain assessment and management into routine veterinary visits