Welfare indicators provide farmers and inspectors with objective, measurable evidence of pig welfare status, moving beyond simple input measures toward outcome-based assessment of actual animal experience.
Traditional farm inspections have focused on resource inputs (space, equipment, feeding) rather than actual animal experience. Outcome-based welfare indicators directly assess what animals experience. A pig with tail lesions has suffered injury regardless of what resources were provided. Integrating animal-based indicators into routine assessment provides a more accurate picture of welfare and incentivises genuine improvement rather than compliance theatre. Farmer training in welfare assessment empowers self-monitoring and early intervention.