Recognising pain in farm animals requires species-specific training, and inadequate pain recognition is a primary cause of delayed treatment and unnecessary suffering across the sector.
Animals suffering from unrecognised pain experience prolonged suffering that proper training would prevent. Studies consistently show that stockpeople underestimate pain prevalence in their herds and flocks. The economic cost of untreated illness provides additional incentive to improve recognition, but welfare benefits justify training investment regardless. Culture change within farming to treat pain recognition as a professional skill is needed.