Measuring positive welfare states in cattle goes beyond the absence of disease and injury to assess whether cattle are experiencing engagement, contentment, and comfort.
Traditional cattle welfare assessment focuses almost entirely on negative indicators including disease prevalence and injury rates. Positive welfare assessment asks whether cattle are experiencing states beyond the absence of suffering, including engagement, contentment, and positive social interactions. Cattle given pasture access after housing show play behaviour suggesting positive emotional states. Incorporating positive indicators into welfare assessment creates a more complete picture of cattle experience.