Positive welfare indicators in pigs go beyond absence of suffering to actively measuring engagement, play, and social bonding.
Measuring positive welfare in pigs has moved from conceptual aspiration to practical science. The QBA method allows observers to reliably distinguish pigs expressing positive states — curiosity, playfulness, calm alertness — from those in neutral or negative states. Ear position, body posture, tail carriage, and social behavior all contribute to this assessment. The practical value is in making welfare improvement measurable: producers who implement enrichment can track whether positive welfare indicators actually increase, rather than merely assuming that providing straw means good welfare. Pigs that show high frequencies of play, social investigation, and positive ear posture are not just behaving normally — they are demonstrating that their needs are being met.