Pain recognition in pigs is challenging but essential for welfare. Developing stockperson skills in behavioral and physical pain assessment enables earlier intervention and better outcomes across farm animal health.
Pig pain goes largely unrecognized and undertreated in commercial production. The prey animal instinct to mask weakness means stockpersons must develop observational skills beyond detecting overt limping or vocalizing. Behavioral indicators — reluctance to bear weight, altered posture, reduced activity, isolation from group, reduced feed intake — often precede overt signs. Training stockpersons using the Pig Grimace Scale and behavioral pain indicators has been shown to improve pain recognition rates significantly. Analgesic use in pig production remains low despite evidence of effectiveness and commercial availability. Cultural and economic barriers — the perception that pain relief in food animals is unnecessary or too expensive — are the primary obstacles to change. Farm assurance schemes increasingly include analgesia requirements as a welfare minimum.