Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Pain Recognition and Grimace Scale

The Piglet Grimace Scale and related assessment tools provide validated methods for detecting and quantifying pain in pigs, enabling better welfare monitoring and management.

Key Facts

Pigs stoically mask pain behaviour, making clinical assessment challenging
The Piglet Grimace Scale assesses facial action units validated against known pain procedures
Orbital tightening, nose bulge, and cheek flattening are key pain indicators in pigs
Stockperson training in grimace scale use improves pain detection significantly
Validated pain scales enable objective welfare assessment in research and commercial settings

Welfare Considerations

Recognising pain in pigs requires specific knowledge and validated tools, as pigs do not display pain behaviours as overtly as mammals humans are more familiar with. Validated grimace scales transform pain assessment from subjective guesswork to objective measurement.

What You Can Do

Advocate for stockperson training in pig pain recognition to be mandatory in welfare standards
Support research that further validates and extends pain assessment tools for pigs
Choose pork from farms with stockpeople trained in pain recognition and proactive treatment