Farm Animals

Pig Pain Scoring Systems in Farming

Standardised pain scoring helps farm workers and vets identify and treat pain in pigs more consistently, improving welfare outcomes across the industry.

Key Facts

Pigs are highly sentient and experience pain similarly to other mammals
Facial grimace scales adapted from human and rodent models are being developed for pigs
Behavioural indicators include huddling, reduced activity, altered posture, and aggression
Pain scoring is most developed for post-operative and lameness assessment
Validated pig grimace scales have been published in scientific literature since 2016

Welfare Considerations

Pigs in intensive farming environments routinely undergo painful procedures including castration, tail docking, and tooth clipping, often without adequate analgesia. Standardised pain assessment tools help ensure pain is recognised and treated. Implementing consistent pain scoring protocols across farms requires training, commitment from producers, and regulatory requirements for analgesic use.

What You Can Do

Support legislation requiring pain relief for routine farm animal procedures
Encourage adoption of welfare audit standards that include pain assessment
Choose pork products certified under high-welfare standards
Advocate for mandatory pain scoring training in pig production
Support research into effective analgesic protocols for farmed pigs