Positive emotions in farm animals — not merely the absence of suffering — are increasingly recognized as welfare goals. Research on joy, play, and other positive states transforms how we evaluate farm welfare.
Play behaviour in farm animals is a reliable positive welfare indicator; playful animals are physically healthy and not in pain or fear. Anticipatory behaviour before positive events — food delivery, social contact — indicates forward-looking positive emotional states. Positive judgement bias in ambiguous situations indicates an optimistic emotional state reflecting good welfare conditions. Cows bucking and kicking after outdoor access on the first spring day demonstrate exuberance; this is called the spring jump phenomenon. Affective indicators like ear posture, tail carriage, and vocalisation pattern reflect emotional states across farm species.