Vol. 11, Special Issue 1 (2026)

Pig welfare is strongly shaped by management practices, housing conditions, and effective biosecurity. Proper health care, including vaccination, hygiene, and enrichment, helps reduce stress, disease risk, and harmful behaviours. Modern production systems require careful welfare monitoring using animal-based indicators to identify issues early. Ensuring high welfare standards is essential for improving productivity and supporting sustainable pig farming. The data from twenty piggery farms in peri urban region of Bengaluru was collected with regard to health and behaviour to assess welfare scores, through structured schedule in person. The farms were divided in to small (<100), medium (100 to 200) and large farms (>200) based on the number of pigs. Ten welfare measures were considered viz., Body condition score, Physical appearance. Abnormal postures, Complications from surgical procedures, Diseases controlling measures, Lameness, Reproductive efficiency, Respiratory problems, Mortality and culling rates and Behaviour. The results indicated that the small farms demonstrated better overall welfare scores for health and behaviour, likely due to lower stocking density, closer monitoring, and improved individual animal care. Medium and large farms showed comparatively lower scores, indicating the need for enhanced management practices, especially in nutrition, behaviour management, and housing conditions. Strengthening welfare-focused interventions across all farm sizes can help ensure healthier and more sustainable pig production.