Pigs are prone to numerous painful conditions but are often stoic. Improving pain recognition skills in stockpeople is one of the most impactful welfare interventions available.
Pain in pigs is chronically underrecognised and undertreated on commercial farms. The natural tendency of prey animals to mask signs of weakness, combined with the difficulty of observing individual pigs in large groups, means that painful conditions often progress before identification. The consequences are severe: pigs with lameness, infected wounds, or postoperative pain suffer for extended periods. Evidence-based solutions exist: the Pig Grimace Scale enables rapid, reliable pain assessment; analgesic protocols for routine procedures dramatically reduce suffering; and regular stockperson training improves detection rates. Digital monitoring tools that flag abnormal posture or behaviour represent the next frontier in farm-level pain management.