Farmed Animals

Positive Welfare States in Farm Animals

Animal welfare science is moving beyond preventing suffering toward actively promoting positive emotional states in farm animals.

Key Facts

The Five Domains model adds 'mental state' to the classic Five Freedoms welfare framework
Research shows farm animals experience positive emotions including play, anticipation, and contentment
Cows play, jump, and show visible excitement when released to pasture after indoor housing
Play behaviour in young pigs correlates with positive welfare indicators
Welfare frameworks that include positive states drive higher welfare outcomes than those focused only on absence of suffering

Welfare Considerations

Modern animal welfare science recognises that good welfare is not merely the absence of suffering but the presence of positive experiences. Farm animals can experience pleasure, contentment, curiosity, and social bonding. Welfare standards that actively promote these positive states represent the next frontier in animal welfare progress.

What You Can Do

Support welfare certifications that include positive welfare state indicators
Advocate for positive welfare standards to be included in national and EU welfare legislation
Choose products from farms where evidence of positive animal behaviour is present
Share research on positive animal emotions to raise public awareness of animal inner lives