Scientists investigate hog breeders’ claims to pigs’ behavior after hearing music.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BRUSSEL – Scientists in Belgium investigated the claims of a farmer babi on the behavior of pigs after hearing the song. Her pet pigs respond in an unusual style when they hear a sound music float.
Piet Paesmans first noticed the phenomenon when his son started singing the song in the barn during an insemination session. The mother looked excited and started wagging her tail.
“I think it’s too good to pass up, we should try it with other pigs too,” Paesmans told Reuters from his farm between Brussels and the Dutch border.
Since then, he has created playlists of songs that coincide with different parts of the day. Starting from playing energetic music when he wanted the pigs to be active and lullabies at the end of the day.
“The jolly dance songs were the biggest hits. They really started wagging their tails and when it got really dynamic they even started dancing and playing around. The rock music was too strong, they didn’t like it,” Paesmans said. .
The farmer alerted a team of researchers who have secured €75,000 in financing from EU funds and the Belgian region of Flanders to investigate the claims. According to the project coordinator, Sander Palmans, not much is known about the reactions of pigs to music but Paesman’s experience blends with existing knowledge about the general effects of sound on animals.
“There is no doubt that there are certain sound effects in animals. So it’s very possible that music could have the same effect,” Palmans said.
The final results of the study are expected to be released by the end of this year. He adds that music can help relieve the boredom associated with stress, even in animals. Paesmans said the findings could have practical implications for the industry as meat quality is affected by stress in animals.
“A top athlete needs to be really fit physically, but also mentally. And it’s the same for pigs. When they are slaughtered, you can see when they are under too much stress. This is very important for the quality of the pork,” he said.
