Castration of male livestock is routinely performed to improve meat quality and management, but causes significant acute and chronic pain that analgesia can substantially reduce.
Castration welfare evidence is compelling: animals castrated without analgesia show elevated cortisol, behavioural pain indicators, and altered movement patterns for days after the procedure. NSAIDs reduce these indicators significantly. The regulatory permission for castration without anaesthetic in young animals reflects historical practice rather than current welfare science. The welfare case for mandatory pain relief for all castration procedures is supported by the available evidence, the low cost of analgesia, and the absence of any welfare justification for withholding it.