Accurate pain recognition in farm animals is foundational to good welfare. Understanding the tools and challenges of pain assessment helps producers, vets, and advocates improve outcomes.
Pain recognition is one of the most important and challenging aspects of farm animal welfare. Animals that mask signs of pain to avoid predation may appear healthy when experiencing significant suffering. Validated observational tools, combined with physiological measures and behavioural changes, give the most reliable picture of pain status. Investing in stockperson training in pain recognition has direct welfare benefits and reduces the delay between pain onset and treatment.