Pig welfare science has increasingly focused on positive welfare states - not just the absence of suffering but the presence of play, exploration, and social bonding that indicate a good life.
The shift toward positive welfare indicators in pig science represents a conceptual advance beyond simply measuring suffering absence. Pigs with good welfare actively play, explore, and socialise. These positive states are measurable and can serve as production system quality indicators alongside traditional negative welfare measures. Enriched pigs with straw, rooting material, and adequate space show measurable positive affective states through cognitive bias tests. This science provides a robust evidence base for the welfare benefits of enriched housing and slower growth systems.