Pain management for farm animals remains inadequate in most production systems, with regulatory gaps and cost barriers leaving many animals to experience preventable suffering from routine procedures and disease.
Livestock pain management is one of the most significant gaps between what is known and what is practiced in farm animal welfare. The evidence that castration, dehorning, disbudding, and other routine procedures cause significant pain is unambiguous. The pharmacological tools for providing adequate pain relief exist and are inexpensive. The barrier is primarily regulatory (inadequate requirements) and educational (stockperson awareness and attitude). Regulatory requirements for pain management are expanding — New Zealand requires pain relief for dehorning and castration — but global standards remain far behind what welfare science recommends. Consumer and retailer pressure is an effective driver of change where regulation lags.