Behavioural responses of piglets to different types of music

Abstract

Music or other background sounds are often played in barns as environmental enrichment for animals on farms or to mask sudden disruptive noises. Previous studies looking at the effects of this practice on non-human animal well-being and productivity have found contradictory results. However, there is still a lack of discussion on whether piglets have the ability to distinguish different types of music. In this study, we exposed piglets to different music conditions to investigate whether the piglets preferred certain music types, in which case those types would have the potential to be used as environmental enrichment. In total, 30 piglets were tested for music type preference to determine whether growing pigs respond differently to different types of music. We used music from two families of instruments (S: string, W: wind) and with two tempos (S: slow, 65 beats/min (bpm); F: fast, 200 bpm), providing four music-type combinations (SS: string-slow; SF: string-fast; WS: wind-slow; WF: wind-fast). The piglets were given a choice between two chambers, one with no music and the other with one of the four types of music, and their behaviour was observed. The results showed that SS and WF music significantly increased residence time (P<0.01) compared with the other music conditions. Compared with the control group (with no music), the different music conditions led to different behavioural responses, where SS music significantly increased lying (P<0.01) and exploration behaviour (P<0.01); SF music significantly increased tail-wagging behaviour (P<0.01); WS music significantly increased exploration (P<0.01); and WF music significantly increased walking, lying, standing and exploration (all P<0.01). The results also showed that musical instruments and tempo had little effect on most of the behaviours. Fast-tempo music significantly increased walking (P=0.02), standing (P<0.01) and tail wagging (P=0.04) compared with slow-tempo music. In conclusion, the results of this experiment show that piglets are more sensitive to tempo than to musical instruments in their response to musical stimulation and seem to prefer SS and WF music to the other two types. The results also suggest a need for further research on the effect of music types on animals.

Musical Dogs: A Review of the Influence of Auditory Enrichment on Canine Health and Behavior

“…Slow string and wind music were both associated with more exploratory behaviors, although slow string music also resulted in more time spent lying down [24]. Fast wind music significantly increased the time piglets spent walking, lying, standing and exploring [24]. Responses to music instrumentation is likely to vary among species, and therefore further research is required to determine if similar affects are found in dogs.…”

“…Investigations into the effects of the exposure of veterinary patients to music in clinics have begun [16,18,20], but such studies have thus far been limited by small sample sizes. Another potential use of music in animal shelters is to influence animal movement patterns [8,24] by drawing towards certain areas and repelling them from others. Theoretically, this has the potential to facilitate the provision of larger, relatively free-range enclosures.…”

“…Future studies should consider traits such as instrumentation, as the timbre of the music may affect outcomes. For example, a study that examined piglets' reactions to different types of classical music revealed differences between the effects of fast and slow tempos, as well as between string and wind instruments [24]. Slow string and wind music were both associated with more exploratory behaviors, although slow string music also resulted in more time spent lying down [24].…”

“…For example, a study that examined piglets' reactions to different types of classical music revealed differences between the effects of fast and slow tempos, as well as between string and wind instruments [24]. Slow string and wind music were both associated with more exploratory behaviors, although slow string music also resulted in more time spent lying down [24]. Fast wind music significantly increased the time piglets spent walking, lying, standing and exploring [24].…”

“…The elimination of ultrasound and infrasound that may distress nonhuman listeners is a basic first step. As a general observation, animals appear less stressed or anxious when exposed to classical music than to control conditions e.g., [8,17,23,24]. However, it is important to consider and adapt to individuals' and species' preferences for different genres and songs, taking care to avoid habituation [17].…”