How playful behavior in pigs serves as a sensitive and practical indicator of positive welfare states in commercial and research settings.
Pig playfulness is not merely an indicator of the absence of suffering but a positive signal of good welfare. Farms that consistently observe high play frequency tend also to have lower rates of tail biting, aggression, and disease. Incorporating play observation into routine welfare audits provides a more complete picture than mortality and injury rates alone. Housing systems that allow play, particularly deep straw yards and outdoor access, offer structural advantages that cannot be replicated through enrichment objects alone.