The Five Domains Model: A Welfare Assessment Framework

The Five Domains model of animal welfare assessment provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating positive and negative welfare states in farm animals.

Key Facts

The Five Domains were proposed by Mellor and Reid in 1994 and have been continuously updated
The domains are: nutrition, physical environment, health, behaviour, and mental state
The mental state domain explicitly includes positive and negative subjective experiences
The model is used by WOAH (formerly OIE) as a global welfare assessment framework
Unlike the Five Freedoms, the Five Domains explicitly include positive welfare provision

Welfare Considerations

The Five Domains model has transformed welfare assessment by requiring consideration of positive subjective states rather than merely preventing suffering. Under this framework, an animal that is free from pain but has no opportunity for positive experiences does not achieve good welfare. This shift has significant implications for farm system design — enrichment, social behaviour, and positive experiences are now welfare requirements rather than optional additions. The model is increasingly adopted in certification standards and legislation.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards that apply the Five Domains or equivalent positive welfare criteria
Advocate for positive welfare indicators to be included alongside negative welfare assessments
Choose products certified to standards that require positive welfare provision
Back farmer training in the Five Domains assessment framework
Support research into positive welfare indicators for different farm animal species