Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Welfare Positive Emotions Science

Research into positive emotional states in pigs is advancing the welfare science beyond preventing suffering to actively promoting positive welfare.

Key Facts

Play behaviour in pigs is reliably associated with positive emotional states
Optimistic judgement bias can be used to assess positive versus negative affective states
Ear posture and tail wagging in social contexts indicate positive engagement
Anticipatory behaviour before preferred activities demonstrates positive valence
Environmental enrichment that enables play and exploration creates measurable positive affect

Welfare Considerations

Positive welfare goes beyond preventing suffering to actively promoting good experiences in pigs. Research demonstrating that pigs have positive emotional states that can be measured and promoted transforms the welfare aspiration from harm reduction to flourishing.

What You Can Do

Support research into positive welfare indicators and their use in farm assessment
Advocate for positive welfare inclusion in farm certification standards
Engage with producers about enrichment strategies that promote positive pig experiences