Farm Animals

Pig Cooperative Husbandry and Trust-Based Care

Building trust between farm staff and pigs through positive human-animal relationships improves welfare outcomes and reduces fear-related stress.

Key Facts

Pigs raised with positive human contact show lower fear responses and cortisol levels
Positive HAR reduces flight distance and improves ease of handling
Farm staff attitude toward animals is a significant predictor of welfare outcomes
Training farm staff in animal behaviour and handling improves welfare across the herd
Pigs can distinguish individual humans and form preferences based on experience

Welfare Considerations

The human-animal relationship on pig farms profoundly affects welfare. Pigs living in fear of human contact experience chronic stress. Positive handling approaches - moving calmly, avoiding sudden movements, using voice cues - build trust that reduces handling stress and allows better observation of individual welfare needs.

What You Can Do

Support farms investing in stockperson training and human-animal relationship assessment
Advocate for HAR evaluation as a component of pig welfare certification
Choose pork from farms with demonstrated commitment to positive stockpersonship