Research into pig play behavior and positive emotional states reveals that pigs have rich inner lives that can be actively supported in farm environments. Promoting positive welfare goes beyond reducing suffering.
Pig positive welfare is increasingly recognized as more than just the absence of suffering. Play behavior is a particularly valuable positive welfare indicator because it only occurs when animals feel safe, healthy, and have surplus energy. Pigs in good conditions play spontaneously and frequently. Environments that support play - with adequate space, appropriate temperatures, enrichment objects, and social stability - actively generate positive welfare states. The observation that older pigs play in enriched conditions shows positive welfare potential throughout the production cycle, not just in young animals.