Welfare assessment has expanded from measuring absence of suffering to actively measuring positive experiences including play, curiosity, and contentment in farm animals.
Focusing only on preventing suffering misses an important component of animal welfare: the presence of positive experiences. Animals that are simply free from suffering but have no positive experiences have poor welfare. Good welfare requires provision of opportunities for play, exploration, social bonding, and other rewarding activities. Measuring positive indicators alongside negative ones gives a more complete picture of farm animal welfare.