Positive Welfare States in Pigs | Animal Welfare Hub

Pig welfare research is moving beyond absence of suffering to understanding positive experiences. Play, curiosity, and social bonds in pigs are indicators of good welfare worth striving for.

Key Facts

Pigs have optimism bias - they approach tasks more eagerly in good welfare conditions
Playful behaviour in piglets is used as an indicator of positive welfare states
Pigs show empathy responses - anxious pigs near stressed companions become stressed
They can distinguish and remember individual human faces
The Five Domains model explicitly includes positive emotions as a welfare goal

Welfare Considerations

Progressive pig welfare science now looks beyond preventing suffering to promoting positive experiences. Pigs in good conditions show play behaviour, exploratory curiosity, and social affiliation that indicate positive affect. These behaviours are measurable and can be used as indicators in welfare assessments. The goal is not merely to reduce pain and fear but to enable pigs to experience positive states appropriate to their nature. This represents a fundamental shift in how pig welfare is conceptualised and measured.

What You Can Do

Support farms and research programs that measure and promote positive pig welfare
Choose pork from outdoor or straw-based systems where play and exploration are possible
Advocate for positive welfare indicators to be included in welfare certification schemes
Support research into pig cognitive and emotional states
Engage with the broader concept of positive animal welfare beyond mere absence of suffering