Welfare of sows uncovered to auditory environmental enrichment – Articles

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Palermo Mende, J., Ribeiro Caldara F., de Castro Burbarelli M.F., Kaique Valentim J., Ferreira de Brito Mandú D., Garófallo Garcia R., Correia de Lima Almeida-Paz I., Markiy Odakura, A. and M.I. Lourenço da Silva. Animals 2023, 13, 1226. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ani13071226

Learn the abstract of the article

Educational commentary by Josep Gasa

The target of the analysis was to judge the consequences of auditory environmental enrichment throughout the complete reproductive cycle (gestation and lactation) of sows housed in stalls till day 35 of gestation or launched 72 hours post-insemination. Reproductive efficiency and eye temperature (ET) have been evaluated as an indicator of sow welfare. Fifty-six second to sixth parity sows have been distributed in a randomized block design with a 2×2 factorial design:

• Housing:
  

  • group housed after day 35
  • breed and launch

• With out music and with music

Auditory enrichment consisted of exposing the sows day by day throughout gestation and lactation to 6 hours of classical music divided into three two-hour durations. Bach music was chosen at an depth of 60 to 75 dB.

The attention temperature of gestating sows that have been group-housed 72 hours post-insemination was decrease than that of sows housed in stalls till day 35 (33.77ºC vs. 34.91ºC).

Gestating and lactating sows uncovered to auditory environmental enrichment exhibited decrease eye temperatures than unstimulated sows (gestating 33.36ºC vs. 34.32ºC and lactating 34.21ºC vs. 34.83ºC).

Housing sort didn’t have an effect on productive efficiency; nonetheless, piglets from sows subjected to auditory environmental enrichment, no matter the kind of housing utilized in gestation, have been considerably heavier at weaning (6.32 kg vs. 5.57 kg).

Exposing gestating and lactating sows to classical music diminished their eye temperature, suggesting a discount within the stress inherent in these manufacturing phases, and this stress discount resulted in greater piglet weaning weights.

It’s identified that auditory environmental enrichment can relieve stress in animals and has optimistic behavioral results in pigs and different species. Classical music in comparison with different music appears to advertise larger rest and scale back agonistic behaviors and stereotypies. Nevertheless, there may be hardly any data referring to sows that additionally relates the consequences of environmental auditory enrichment, not solely with the state of well-being but in addition with productive parameters.

The experiment is properly designed and the outcomes are accurately processed and interpreted. The authors level out that the optimistic results of music on piglet weaning weights could also be associated to sow and piglet welfare. Lactating sows with higher welfare circumstances present much less stereotypies and are assumed to extend consideration to the litter by rising nursing frequency. Then again, piglets uncovered to music are likely to have much less agonistic behaviors and extra play behaviors.

It’s noteworthy that of the a number of productive parameters recorded throughout gestation and lactation, solely the piglet weight at weaning was important, with an enchancment of 750 g at weaning for piglets from the therapy with music, along with a pattern within the weaning to estrus interval (p=0.077) favoring the therapy with out music. The experiment was carried out in Mato Grosso, Brazil; a tropical local weather with dry winters, annual rainfall between 1,200 and 1,800 mm, and excessive temperatures between 10 and 40ºC.

On-farm commentary by Josep Casanovas

This trial could be very fascinating to me. It opens a door that we should always all attempt to preserve open.

We should always attempt to implement every thing that may be finished to enhance true animal welfare; particularly when the price of implementation just isn’t essentially exorbitant, as within the current case.

An excellent a part of our job is guaranteeing animal welfare, so you will need to perceive the totally different particulars to attain it as absolutely as attainable.

Probably the most important issues we encounter when discussing welfare is defining it, understanding what it truly is. Most individuals discover it tough to understand what well-being is for them. There are not any parameters that supply absolute well-being for everybody. For individuals who work, well-being means having a couple of days off; for many who are unemployed and in search of work, well-being means having a job.

It’s clear that good housing, good feeding, and good well being are the fundamental, minimal, elementary limitations to supply animal welfare. In these three points, the wants are clear and have been completely described for a few years.

The scenario is difficult bhe fourth ingredient, which refers to the necessity to specific conduct and relationships with different animals, together with people, as a way to obtain good welfare circumstances.

As in so many different issues with welfare, the regulation of 20/80 is adopted. By accurately assembly 20% of the wants, 80% of the welfare is achieved, however to attain the opposite 20%, 80% of the wants should be met.

The problem, if we wish to enhance welfare circumstances past probably the most elementary, is to determine, know, and apply all these particulars, on this case providing auditory environmental enrichment, which may obtain most profit by way of welfare.

This isn’t straightforward. Whether it is tough to outline our personal well-being, how can we dare to outline what well-being for an animal is.

The ISDE (Worldwide Six Days Enduro) was not too long ago held in Silleda, Spain. Within the image, we will see a herd of cows completely naturally having fun with a particular part.

I say “having fun with” as a result of regardless of the rain, fog, and dust I loved it. However did the cows actually take pleasure in it or did they endure for six days, who is aware of?

It is vitally necessary to supply proof that may objectively display actual welfare conditions. Mammals have 5 senses, and all of them can present us with sensations of well-being. It is very important discover the totally different sources of well-being by the totally different senses.

In view of the outcomes of the research, I’ve some questions:

• Did the music have an effect on solely the animals, and have been the workers caring for the animals additionally affected by the music? Implementing measures to enhance the welfare scenario for each the animals and their caretakers is a problem.

• I have no idea precisely why the researchers determined to schedule the publicity to music in three two-hour durations every day. If the presence of music is an auditory environmental enrichment that improves welfare circumstances, can we expect that the absence of this enriching stimulus will trigger them to fall right into a scenario of discomfort? If that is so, probably the most affected group can be solely the one which is aware of concerning the existence of music.

That mentioned, the researchers have opened a door that will be very fascinating to not shut.