Farm Animals

Pig Positive Welfare Indicators Science

The science of positive welfare indicators in pigs is advancing, identifying behavioural and physiological markers of good welfare beyond the mere absence of suffering.

Key Facts

The Five Domains model includes positive experience as a core welfare domain alongside physical health
Tail posture (tail curled and wagging) is proposed as a simple positive welfare indicator
Optimistic cognitive bias tests provide a validated measure of positive emotional state
Social play frequency and intensity are measurable positive welfare indicators
Facial expression analysis using deep learning can detect positive affect in real time

Welfare Considerations

Positive welfare science transforms what we measure and what we aim for in pig production. Moving beyond minimising suffering to actively promoting positive experiences represents the next generation of welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support farms incorporating positive welfare indicators into their welfare assessment frameworks
Advocate for positive welfare metrics inclusion in farm assurance scheme standards
Engage with welfare researchers developing and validating positive pig welfare indicators