Play behavior in pigs is a reliable indicator of positive welfare states, and its presence or absence in farming environments provides a meaningful measure of welfare quality.
Measuring positive welfare in pigs has historically been difficult compared to measuring negative welfare indicators like injuries and mortality. Play behavior offers a validated window into positive emotional states. Pigs given space, enrichment, and good health play more frequently, and this correlates with better overall welfare outcomes on other indicators. The practical implication for farmers is that encouraging and observing play provides real-time feedback on welfare quality. Enrichment interventions that successfully increase play behavior in a herd signal that the intervention is genuinely improving welfare rather than merely eliminating specific negative behaviors. Play is both an indicator and a component of good pig welfare.