Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Human-Animal Relationship and Stockmanship

The quality of human-animal relationships on pig farms significantly affects animal behaviour, fear levels and welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Pigs on farms with gentle stockpeople show lower fear responses to humans
Fear of humans is associated with stress and reduced productivity as well as poor welfare
Positive interactions including gentle handling and talking reduce flight distance measures
Stockperson attitude and approach are the primary determinants of human-animal relationship quality
Welfare assessments should include human-animal relationship indicators like flight distance

Welfare Considerations

Stockperson quality is one of the most important and often overlooked determinants of farm animal welfare. Training in low-stress handling and fostering positive attitudes toward animal welfare translates directly into improved welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support stockperson training programmes in low-stress animal handling techniques
Advocate for human-animal relationship assessment as part of farm welfare certification
Choose pork from farms with positive welfare cultures and trained, engaged stockpeople