Despite advances in pain science, effective pain management remains inconsistently applied in livestock farming, leaving many animals to suffer during and after painful procedures.
The gap between what pain science tells us about livestock suffering and what actually happens on farms is stark. Farmers often lack time, veterinary access, or financial incentive to provide adequate pain management for routine procedures. The stoic behaviour of prey animals like sheep and cattle makes pain harder to identify, and historic farming culture dismissed pain as inevitable. Modern pain assessment tools - including the Grimace Scales developed for cattle, sheep, and pigs - are improving veterinary recognition of pain. The challenge now is translating this into routine farm practice. Pain management protocols embedded in farm health plans, lower-cost injectable pain relief options, and improved veterinary access in rural areas are all part of the solution.