Farm Animals

Pig Positive Emotions Assessment: Beyond Absence of Suffering

Modern pig welfare science increasingly focuses on measuring positive emotional states, not just the absence of negative experiences.

Key Facts

Pigs show play behaviour including running, spinning, and toy interaction as a positive welfare indicator
Cognitive bias tests measure whether pigs expect positive or negative outcomes based on rearing conditions
Ear posture and tail wagging in pigs correlate with positive affective states in some studies
Higher welfare systems consistently show more positive behaviour indicators than conventional systems

Welfare Considerations

A good life for a pig requires positive experiences - not just the absence of pain and fear. Measuring positive welfare through play behaviour, exploration, and positive anticipation provides a more complete picture of welfare and identifies when animals are genuinely thriving.

What You Can Do

Support pig welfare research programmes investigating positive welfare indicators
Advocate for positive welfare indicators alongside negative outcome measures in farm assessment
Choose pork from producers who invest in understanding and improving positive pig welfare