Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Positive Welfare Indicators in Practice

Moving beyond absence of suffering to evidence of positive welfare states in pigs requires new assessment tools and farm practices.

Key Facts

Five Domains model includes positive mental states as the fifth domain
Positive indicators include play, exploration, social cohesion and relaxation
Tail wagging, bounding, jaw-dropping and social play are positive welfare signals
Farm monitoring for positive indicators is less advanced than for negative ones
Housing enrichment and good human-animal relationships support positive states

Welfare Considerations

Positive welfare is more than the absence of suffering. Pigs in good welfare play, explore, engage socially and exhibit contentment behaviours. Assessment and reporting of positive indicators alongside negative ones gives a fuller welfare picture.

What You Can Do

Support welfare certification schemes incorporating positive welfare indicators
Ask producers about how they assess and promote positive welfare states
Advocate for welfare science research to develop validated positive pig welfare metrics