Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Welfare and the Five Domains

Applying the Five Domains welfare framework to pig welfare provides a comprehensive approach to assessment and improvement that goes beyond simple harm prevention.

Key Facts

The Five Domains includes nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and mental state
Mental state assessment including positive emotions is the most advanced and contested domain
Positive welfare indicators including play and exploration complement negative welfare assessment
Five Domains provides language for discussing pig welfare comprehensively
Translating Five Domains into farm-level assessment tools is an active research area

Welfare Considerations

The Five Domains framework elevates pig welfare assessment beyond harm prevention to encompass positive welfare states. This richer framework is reshaping research priorities and beginning to influence assessment protocols.

What You Can Do

Learn about the Five Domains framework and how it applies to pig welfare
Support research developing Five Domains assessment tools for pigs
Advocate for positive welfare indicators to be included in pig welfare audits
Choose welfare-certified pork from farms assessed using comprehensive frameworks