Behavioural and physiological responses of piglets to naturally occurring sounds

Spensley, J.C.; Wathes, C. M.; Waran, Natalie; Lines, J.A.

doi:10.1016/0168-1591(95)92367-3

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…HFLC minipigs had higher heart rates during the first part of the Novel object test (control test), but on presentation of the novel object, no effect on heart rate was seen. This could indicate that these minipigs were more stressed [35] , [36] or fearful during the control test, but this is not supported by the behaviour of the minipigs, since no fear-related behaviour was observed. Moreover, when presented with the novel object, HFLC minipigs demonstrated less fear-related behaviour than the two other groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

High Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diet Limit Fear and Aggression in Göttingen Minipigs

et al. 2014

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High fat, low carbohydrate diets have become popular, as short-term studies show that such diets are effective for reducing body weight, and lowering the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is growing evidence from both humans and other animals that diet affects behaviour and intake of fat has been linked, positively and negatively, with traits such as exploration, social interaction, anxiety and fear. Animal models with high translational value can help provide relevant and important information in elucidating potential effects of high fat, low carbohydrate diets on human behaviour. Twenty four young, male Göttingen minipigs were fed either a high fat/cholesterol, low carbohydrate diet or a low fat, high carbohydrate/sucrose diet in contrast to a standard low fat, high carbohydrate minipig diet. Spontaneous behaviour was observed through video recordings of home pens and test-related behaviours were recorded during tests involving animal-human contact and reaction towards a novel object. We showed that the minipigs fed a high fat/cholesterol, low carbohydrate diet were less aggressive, showed more non-agonistic social contact and had fewer and less severe skin lesions and were less fearful of a novel object than minipigs fed low fat, high carbohydrate diets. These results found in a porcine model could have important implications for general health and wellbeing of humans and show the potential for using dietary manipulations to reduce aggression in human society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

High Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diet Limit Fear and Aggression in Göttingen Minipigs

et al. 2014

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“…Vocalisations of stressed animals and human shouting, which is particularly abhorrent for animals (Weeks, ), are stressful for animals. As an example, Spensley found that novel noise ranging from 80 to 89 dB increased heart rate of pigs (Spensley et al., ). Other authors showed that intermittent sounds are more disturbing to pigs than continuous sound (Talling et al., , ).…”

Section: Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare of pigs at slaughter

Nielsen¹,

Álvarez²,

Bicout³

et al. 2020

EFS2

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The killing of pigs for human consumption (slaughtering) can take place in a slaughterhouse or on farm. The processes of slaughtering that were assessed for welfare, from the arrival of pigs until their death, were grouped into three main phases: pre‐stunning (including arrival, unloading from the truck, lairage, handling and moving of pigs); stunning (including restraint); and bleeding. Stunning methods were grouped into three categories: electrical, controlled atmosphere and mechanical. Twelve welfare consequences the pigs can be exposed to during slaughter were identified: heat stress, cold stress, fatigue, prolonged thirst, prolonged hunger, impeded movement, restriction of movements, resting problem, negative social behaviour, pain, fear and respiratory distress. Welfare consequences and relevant animal‐based measures were described. In total, 30 welfare hazards that could occur during slaughter were identified and characterised, most of them related to stunning and bleeding. Staff were identified as the origin of 29 hazards, which were attributed to the lack of appropriate skill sets needed to perform tasks or to fatigue. Corrective and preventive measures for these hazards were assessed: measures to correct hazards were identified, and management was shown to have a crucial role in prevention. Outcome tables linking hazards, welfare consequences, animal‐based measures, origins and preventive and corrective measures were developed for each process. Mitigation measures to minimise welfare consequences are proposed.

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“…There are contrasting reports regarding the influence noise may have on the physiological, behavioral and productive traits of animals, especially because response to sound stimulation are species-specific and largely depend on the nature, loudness and familiarness of the noise (Spensley et al, 1995;Talling et al, 1998;Waynert et al, 1998;Sevi et al, 2001). These factors become particularly important where sheep are concerned since they do not seem to easily adapt to intensive management conditions (McNatty et al, 1973;Pearson and Mellor, 1976;Fordham et al;1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of graded noise levels on behavior, physiology and production performance of intensively managed lambs

Quaranta

Sevi

Nardomarino

et al. 2002

Italian Journal of Animal Science

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The aim of the experiment was to assess the effects of graded noise levels on behavioral, immune and cortisol responses, and on production performance of forty precocious Merino lambs. The experiment lasted 42 days and was preceded by a two-week adjustment period. The animals were divided into 3 test groups and a control group of 10 each, which were housed in 12 m 2 sound-proof rooms. The lambs in the test groups were exposed to recordings of high-speed motor vehicle traffic noise for 8 hours a day. The frequency range of the recordings was 100 to 6,300 Hz, while the loudness levels were different in the three experimental rooms: group A = 95 dB, group B = 85 dB, and group C = 75 dB. During the same 8 hours the control group was exposed to a background noise of 42-44 dB. For the rest of the day, the ambient noise level in the animal building was 35-40 dB. Behavioral traits of lambs were recorded at the end of the adjustment period and then at 14d, 28d and 42d of the experiment. At the same intervals, the plasma levels of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, total proteins, albumins and cortisol were determined. Cell-mediated immune response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was determined at the beginning and at days 21 and 42 of the trial. Live weights of lambs were measured at the beginning of the trial and then at two-week intervals during the trial. After slaughtering, the carcass weights and the dressing percentage were determined. The experimental treatment determined a significant increase in the walking time (P < 0.01) and a reduction of plasma cortisol levels (P < 0.01) in the samples taken on days 28 and 42 of the trial in groups A and B. The lambs in the test groups exhibited a slower growth rate (P < 0.01) than the animals of the control group, whereas a deterioration of feed efficiency was observed only in group A (P < 0.01). There were no differences amongst the groups in terms of cell-mediated immunity and blood metabolites. Results suggest that exposure to noise has a detrimental effect on some biological functions in lambs but it does not severely impair animal wellbeing, at least when there are no concomitant conditions of physical and social discomfort. (4,0 vs 3,4 vs 3,5 vs 3,3, rispettivamente nei gruppi A, B, C e di controllo; P < 0,01

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Behavioural and physiological responses of piglets to naturally occurring sounds

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

High Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diet Limit Fear and Aggression in Göttingen Minipigs

High Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diet Limit Fear and Aggression in Göttingen Minipigs

Welfare of pigs at slaughter

Effects of graded noise levels on behavior, physiology and production performance of intensively managed lambs

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