Pig Pain Scoring: Improving Assessment and Treatment on Farm

Accurate pain recognition in pigs is essential for good farm welfare. Validated scoring tools are transforming how producers identify and treat pain.

Key Facts

Pigs have a sophisticated pain system comparable in many ways to that of humans and other mammals
Lameness affects an estimated 15-30% of sows in conventional production systems
The Pig Grimace Scale is a validated tool assessing facial action units linked to pain in pigs
Routine painful procedures including castration and tail docking are common without adequate analgesia
Untreated pain in pigs causes reduced feed intake, social withdrawal and immune suppression
Training farm staff to use pain scoring tools significantly improves treatment rates and outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Pig pain has historically been under-recognised and under-treated on farms, partly because pigs hide pain as prey species and partly because of economic pressures. Validated pain scoring systems including the Pig Grimace Scale provide objective, reliable methods for farm staff to identify animals in need of treatment. Incorporating routine pain scoring into daily stockperson checks is now recommended by leading welfare bodies. When pain is identified, timely veterinary treatment including NSAIDs prevents chronic suffering and improves production outcomes simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Learn about the Pig Grimace Scale and share resources with pig farmers and veterinarians
Support farm welfare certification schemes that require pain scoring and treatment protocols
Advocate for mandatory analgesia with all routine painful procedures in pig production
Choose pig products from producers with independently verified higher welfare standards
Support research into non-invasive pain biomarkers to improve farm-level pain detection