Welfare science has moved beyond preventing suffering to actively promoting positive emotional states in farm animals. Evidence of positive emotions in farm animals has significant implications for how we raise them.
The emerging science of animal positive emotions is transforming how welfare researchers and farmers think about farm animal care. It is no longer sufficient to ensure that animals are not suffering — genuinely good welfare requires active promotion of positive experiences including curiosity, play, social bonding and pleasurable physical sensations. Farm animals in barren environments may not display obvious signs of suffering while still experiencing chronic emotional poverty. Research shows that animals in enriched, positive environments are healthier, more productive and show measurable indicators of positive affect. This science provides both a moral and economic case for enrichment. Practical positive welfare measures — mud wallows for pigs, scratching posts for cattle, foraging materials for poultry — are inexpensive relative to their welfare impact.