Positive welfare goes beyond freedom from suffering to include positive emotional states. Measuring optimism and play in pigs provides evidence for interventions that genuinely improve their lives.
The Five Domains framework recognises that good welfare requires positive experiences, not just absence of negatives. Pigs are capable of experiencing positive emotional states including joy during play and positive anticipation of rewards. Measuring these states enables producers to go beyond minimum standards toward actively creating conditions for positive wellbeing. Enriched environments, social stability and varied stimuli all contribute to positive pig welfare.