Welfare Science

Pig Welfare Measurement Innovation

Innovative welfare measurement approaches are transforming how pig welfare is assessed on farms, moving from input-based inspection to outcome-based animal-centred metrics.

Key Facts

The Welfare Quality protocol was the first comprehensive outcome-based pig welfare assessment framework
Modern welfare assessment tools measure positive welfare indicators including play, exploration, and affective states
Sensor technologies enable continuous welfare measurement rather than point-in-time inspection
Machine learning applied to welfare data enables predictive identification of at-risk farms
Standardised welfare metrics enable meaningful comparison between farms, regions, and countries

Welfare Considerations

Traditional welfare inspection focusing on compliance with input standards (space allowances, enrichment provision) misses the actual welfare experience of individual pigs. Outcome-based measurement directly assesses what pigs are experiencing through animal-centred indicators like tail lesion prevalence, body condition, and behavioural expression. This shift fundamentally improves the validity and usefulness of welfare assessment for driving genuine improvement.

What You Can Do

Support development of validated outcome-based welfare assessment tools for pig farming
Advocate for outcome-based welfare metrics in farm assurance and regulatory frameworks
Learn about the difference between input-based and outcome-based approaches to welfare assessment
Choose pork from farms assessed using outcome-based welfare measurement approaches