Positive welfare indicators for pigs provide evidence of good affective states beyond absence of harm. Validated indicators enable farmers and auditors to assess whether pigs are experiencing good lives.
Positive welfare indicators for pigs represent a critical advance in welfare science and practice. Moving beyond the prevention of negative experiences to the active promotion of positive ones requires validated indicators that provide evidence of positive affective states. Play behavior — particularly locomotor play involving running, jumping, and spinning — is among the most robust and universally recognized indicators of positive welfare in pigs. Ear posture studies demonstrate that a relaxed, forward-facing ear position correlates with positive states while backward ears indicate negative states, providing a simple real-time welfare indicator. Farms that regularly see pig play, relaxed social behavior, and active enrichment engagement are producing evidence of genuinely good welfare rather than just adequate welfare. This positive welfare lens transforms farm management from compliance with minimum standards toward the active creation of good animal experiences.