The physical design of pig housing goes beyond preventing harm - positive welfare for pigs requires environments that actively enable species-typical behaviors and positive affective states.
Positive welfare science for pigs has progressed significantly beyond the prevention of suffering to identify the conditions that support good experiences. Pigs in well-designed environments show higher frequencies of play, exploration, and social grooming, and lower frequencies of stereotypies and aggression. The Positive Welfare Framework, developed by welfare scientists, identifies indicators including play behavior, tail posture, and social proximity as measurable positive welfare indicators. Design principles that incorporate spatial complexity, substrate variety, and appropriate social group sizes represent evidence-based approaches to achieving positive welfare beyond minimum standards compliance.