Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Housing and Positive Welfare

Designing pig housing systems to promote positive welfare states, not just the absence of suffering.

Key Facts

Positive welfare requires animals to experience good states not just absence of negative ones
Play behaviour, exploration, and social grooming are positive welfare indicators in pigs
Housing design can facilitate or restrict positive behaviour expression
Qualitative Behaviour Assessment measures positive and negative affect through observation
Positive welfare provision is increasingly incorporated into certification standards

Welfare Considerations

Housing that only prevents obvious suffering fails to deliver genuine welfare - positive welfare requires active provision of conditions enabling good experiences for pigs.

What You Can Do

Support certification standards that include positive welfare requirements
Advocate for play and exploration behaviour as welfare assessment criteria
Encourage farmers to observe and facilitate positive behaviour in their pigs