Geverink N A, Bühnemann A, Van De Burgwal J A, Lambooij E, Blokhuis H J, Wiegant V M
DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health, Lelystad, The Netherlands.
Physiol Behav. 1998 Feb 15;63(4):667-73. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9384(97)00513-1.
The behavioral and physiological responses of pigs to transport and subsequent exposure to slaughterhouse sounds were examined. Forty-one groups of four slaughter pigs were separately loaded onto a lorry and transported for 25 min. Another 43 groups were loaded onto the lorry which then remained stationary for 25 min. Following unloading pigs were moved to a race with a length of 15 m and a width of 1.5 m. Either one of the following sounds was played at 85 dB(A) for 10 min: Pigs in front of the restrainer, Machines in lairage, White Noise, or Control (no sound). Pigs exposed to the Machines and White Noise treatment spent significantly more time close to their group-mates compared with Control pigs, with pigs subjected to the Pig sound being intermediate. Transported pigs spent less time exploring the race and were less active than pigs from the stationary lorry. Heart rate was higher during transport than during the stationary period. In contrast, during unloading, the sound exposure period and the post-sound period, heart rate was lower in the transported groups. Heart rate did not significantly differ between sound treatments. Salivary cortisol concentrations were significantly higher after transport than after the stationary period and remained higher for transported pigs after the sound exposure period. Cortisol levels did not differ significantly between sound treatments. It is tentatively suggested that social support from conspecifics may protect pigs from potentially adverse effects of exposure to lairage sounds.
研究了猪对运输及随后暴露于屠宰场声音的行为和生理反应。将41组每组4头待宰猪分别装上一辆卡车并运输25分钟。另外43组猪被装上卡车后保持静止25分钟。卸载后，猪被转移到一个长15米、宽1.5米的通道。以85分贝（A）的音量播放以下声音之一，持续10分钟：限位器前的猪叫声、圈栏中的机器声、白噪声或对照（无声音）。与对照猪相比，暴露于机器声和白噪声处理的猪与同伴靠近的时间显著更长，暴露于猪叫声处理的猪则介于两者之间。运输组的猪在通道中探索的时间较少，且比来自静止卡车的猪活跃度更低。运输期间的心率高于静止期。相反，在卸载、声音暴露期和声音暴露后阶段，运输组的猪心率较低。不同声音处理之间心率无显著差异。运输后唾液皮质醇浓度显著高于静止期，且在声音暴露期后运输组猪的皮质醇浓度仍较高。不同声音处理之间皮质醇水平无显著差异。初步认为来自同种个体的社会支持可能保护猪免受暴露于圈栏声音潜在的不利影响。
