Effective pain recognition in farm animals depends on stockperson skill and knowledge, but training in pain recognition and assessment remains inconsistent across the industry. Improving pain recognition is a foundational step toward better pain management and animal welfare.
Pain recognition is the gateway to pain management: animals cannot be treated for pain that is not detected. Farm animals are prey species that suppress visible pain signals as an evolved survival strategy, meaning that significant pain may be present well before any obvious behavioural signs emerge. Validated grimace scales — based on facial action coding systems originally developed in humans — now provide practical tools for assessing pain in cattle, pigs, horses, rabbits, and sheep. These tools can be taught to stockpeople and integrated into routine health monitoring. The welfare gap between farms with high stockperson skill and those without is substantial: well-trained stockpeople identify lame, injured, or sick animals earlier, act more quickly, and use analgesics more appropriately.