Moving beyond the absence of suffering to actively promoting positive welfare states in cattle represents an important frontier in farm animal science.
Traditional welfare assessment focused on reducing negative states such as pain, fear, and hunger. Positive welfare science now examines how to promote genuinely good emotional states in cattle. Key positive welfare opportunities include social contact with preferred individuals, roughage access, novelty through enrichment, outdoor access, and opportunities for play. Farmers can improve positive welfare without major cost through management changes.