Farm Animals

Pig Welfare Scoring: Transect Assessment at Farm Level

Welfare outcome-based scoring systems allow systematic, comparable assessment of pig welfare across farms.

Key Facts

WelfareQuality and AssureWel provide validated scoring protocols for pigs
Outcome measures include lameness, body lesions, tail biting, and behaviour
On-farm welfare assessment motivates improvement better than input-based regulation
Benchmarking across farms reveals where welfare gains are most achievable

Welfare Considerations

Systematic welfare assessment based on animal outcomes rather than housing specifications captures actual welfare status. Farmers who participate in benchmarking programmes consistently show improved welfare outcomes over time.

What You Can Do

Support farm assurance schemes that use outcome-based welfare assessment
Advocate for mandatory annual welfare assessment with benchmarking in farm legislation
Choose pork from farms participating in transparent welfare monitoring programmes