Positive Welfare in Pigs: What Good Lives Look Like

Positive pig welfare goes beyond the absence of suffering to actively providing conditions for exploration, play, and positive social interactions.

Key Facts

Pigs in positive welfare conditions engage in play including running, jumping, and social play
Exploration of novel environments engages pig curiosity and provides cognitive stimulation
Positive social interactions including mutual grooming indicate good social welfare states
Pigs show clear indicators of positive affect including relaxed postures and vocalizations
Farms that provide positive welfare conditions typically show better health and productivity outcomes

Welfare Considerations

What do good pig lives look like? Pigs exploring novel enrichment, playing with companions, rooting in substrate, and showing relaxed social behaviors represent genuine positive welfare states. These are not luxury additions to basic welfare provision but expressions of what pigs are capable of experiencing when their environments meet their behavioral needs. Farms that create conditions for positive pig welfare produce better welfare outcomes and often better production outcomes simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support farms and certification schemes that measure and promote positive pig welfare
Donate to research into positive pig welfare states and how to promote them
Visit higher-welfare pig farms to see what positive pig welfare looks like in practice
Share positive pig welfare content to expand public understanding of pig behavioral capabilities