Sweden wants to allow health sensors in the ears of cattle, sheep and pigs without pain relief: what Jordbruksverket is proposing and why it's controversial

What Jordbruksverket is proposing

The Swedish Board of Agriculture, Jordbruksverket, has put forward a change to its animal welfare regulations for consultation. In short: digital sensors attached through a separate hole in an animal's ear could be fitted without anaesthesia or other pain relief. Both animal keepers and vets would be allowed to carry out the procedure.

The proposal covers cattle, sheep and pigs. The sensor goes through an additional hole in the ear, separate from the compulsory ear tags used to identify the animal. At present, Swedish rules contain no exemption allowing such a hole to be made for a sensor, and the proposal is meant to create one.

The trade journal VeterinärMagazinet reported on the draft on 27 October. The documents have been sent to relevant organisations for comment, and they can submit their views until 13 November 2026. For now it's only a proposal, not an adopted decision.

What such sensors can do

An ear sensor is a small electronic device that records the animal's behaviour around the clock. From these data, the farmer and vet can see:

• rumination — in cows a drop is often the first sign of illness, such as ketosis or inflammation;
• feeding — how much and how often the animal eats, and whether its behaviour at the feeder changes;
• activity — how much the animal moves, lies down and stands;
• heat — when a cow is ready to be inseminated;
• location — where the animal is in the shed or out at pasture;
• individual feeding — how much feed a particular animal should get;
• weight and readiness for slaughter in pigs — without weighing them by hand.

These systems are used most in dairy farming. The authority notes that they're increasingly fitted in beef and pig farming too, and growth is expected in sheep farming.

Why the authority says it's needed

Jordbruksverket gives several arguments for the change.

The first is animal health. Continuous monitoring picks up problems earlier than a normal inspection: a drop in rumination or activity shows up a day or two before an animal is visibly ill. The earlier treatment starts, the less the animal suffers and the better the outcome.

The second is less handling stress. Pigs, for example, wouldn't need to be weighed and sorted by hand before slaughter: the sensor shows which ones are ready. Every such move is stressful for the animal and carries a risk of injury for animals and people.

The third is cost. If pain relief were required, farms would have to call a vet every time, because pain-relieving drugs are prescribed by vets. That would make the sensors considerably more expensive.

The authority's overall judgement is that the benefits of the sensors justify fitting them without pain relief.

What the authority itself admits about pain

At the same time, in the impact assessment attached to the draft, Jordbruksverket states plainly that piercing an ear without anaesthesia or other pain relief is painful. In addition, several holes in one ear may increase the risk of ear injuries, which in turn can cause animals to suffer.

So the draft includes a condition: the design of the sensor and the position of the hole must not cause the animal discomfort, injury or negative changes in behaviour. How exactly this will be checked should become clearer after the consultation.

A second proposal: an extra hole for an electronic tag

The same draft contains another temporary exemption. Cattle and sheep that already have conventional ear tags would be allowed one more hole — for an electronic tag. The reason is practical: several Swedish abattoirs require electronic identification for animals born from 1 January 2026, and farms need time to switch to the new tags.

The exemption is meant to be temporary, until 31 December 2028. Here too, the authority notes that the procedure is painful and may increase the risk of injury.

Why it's controversial

Sweden is known for strict animal welfare rules. Swedish law requires painful procedures on animals to be carried out with pain relief unless there's an explicit exemption. So any new exemption raises questions among vets and animal welfare campaigners: where is the line between a health benefit and pain an animal endures for the farm's convenience?

The authority is weighing two things. On one side, the brief pain of piercing and the risk of ear injury. On the other, the fact that sensors help spot disease earlier and mean animals are disturbed less often for checks and weighing. Money is a separate question: the argument about the cost of pain relief concerns farm economics, not the animal's welfare. Discussing exactly these issues is why the draft has been sent out: veterinary bodies, farmers' unions and animal welfare groups can submit their comments until 13 November.

How to tell if an animal is in pain

Cattle, sheep and pigs are poor at showing pain — in the wild, a weak animal is more likely to become prey. So it's important for farmers and vets to know the quiet signs. After a procedure on the ear, watch out for:

• frequent head shaking and attempts to rub the ear on walls and fences;
• a drooping or flattened ear, or ears held unevenly;
• refusing to let you near the head, sudden movements when touched;
• eating and ruminating less than usual — something the sensor itself will show;
• swelling, heat or discharge around the hole.

If these signs last for more than a few days, the animal needs to be seen by a vet.

How ear tags are usually fitted

Ear tags are a compulsory part of farm animal identification in the EU and the UK: they make it possible to trace where an animal was born, where it was moved and where meat came from. They're fitted with special pliers that pierce the ear and fix the tag in one movement, usually in the first days or weeks of life. Electronic tags work the same way but contain a chip that's read with a scanner on the farm or at the abattoir. This is quicker and more accurate than copying numbers by hand, which is why abattoirs are moving to electronic identification.

How other countries handle it

There are no specific EU-wide rules on health sensors in ears; countries decide this themselves under their own animal welfare laws. Health sensors are a new technology, and in many countries the rules for them haven't settled yet. So Sweden's decision, whatever it turns out to be, could become an example for its neighbours.

What it means for farmers

If the proposal is adopted, Swedish farmers will be able to fit sensors to their cattle, sheep and pigs themselves, without calling a vet. That will make monitoring systems easier to adopt, especially on smaller farms. But responsibility for doing the procedure properly would also fall on the farmer: positioning the hole, using clean instruments and keeping an eye on the ear afterwards.

Vets usually advise using clean instruments, working in a calm setting with the animal properly restrained, and checking for swelling, redness or pus in the first few days.

What it means for pet owners

For dogs and cats this proposal changes nothing: they're identified with a microchip inserted under the skin with a needle, usually without separate pain relief. In the UK, microchipping is compulsory for dogs and, in England since June 2024, for cats. In the EU, under the new regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, microchipping and registration will become compulsory in all member states after a transition period. But the debate about sensors shows clearly how Sweden and the EU weigh the benefits of technology against the pain it causes animals.

How such decisions are made in Sweden

In Sweden, almost every rule change first goes through a remiss — sending the draft out for comment. The authority sends the documents to the organisations affected: veterinary associations, farmers' organisations, animal welfare groups, universities and other agencies. Anyone else can also submit a response. The authority must consider the comments and explain why it has or hasn't taken them into account.

So the sensor proposal isn't yet a final decision. Rules are sometimes changed significantly after consultation: conditions are added, exemptions narrowed or decisions postponed. The reference number of this draft is 5.3.16-19628/2026, and the documents can be found under it on the authority's website.

What happens next

After 13 November, Jordbruksverket will review the responses and decide whether to adopt the changes as they stand, amend them or drop them. If the rules are adopted, they'll come into force once published. Until then, the current requirements apply: a separate hole in the ear for a sensor may not be made without pain relief. Farmers already planning to buy such systems should wait for the decision or discuss with their vet how to fit sensors under the current rules.

When to call the vet

If an animal's ear is swollen, red, hot or discharging after a tag or sensor has been fitted, or the animal keeps shaking its head and won't let you touch the ear, call your vet. Ear inflammation and injuries in cattle, sheep and pigs need treating promptly, or they can lead to serious complications.