Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Positive Welfare Science

Positive welfare science focuses on enabling animals to have good experiences, not merely preventing harm, and is transforming pig welfare thinking.

Key Facts

Positive welfare indicators include play behaviour, social investigation, and tail posture in pigs
The Five Domains model includes the positive mental state domain alongside physical needs
Pigs given environmental enrichment show higher rates of play and exploration
Positive welfare indicators can be measured on-farm and used in welfare assessments
Research at institutions like Edinburgh University has developed play behaviour scoring systems

Welfare Considerations

Traditional welfare assessment focused on preventing harm. Positive welfare science asks: are pigs actually experiencing good lives? Measuring positive indicators like play frequency and exploratory behaviour reveals that pigs can thrive, not just survive, given appropriate conditions. This transforms welfare goals from minimum standards to genuine quality of life.

What You Can Do

Support welfare certification that includes positive welfare indicators
Advocate for positive welfare assessment alongside harm prevention in auditing
Choose pork from farms demonstrating high positive welfare scores