The Auditory World of Chickens: Do Chicks Enjoy Music?
Before venturing into the captivating realm of music and chicks, it’s crucial to grasp their auditory capabilities and sound perception. Chickens possess keen hearing and utilize vocalizations for various purposes in their social interactions and daily lives. For instance, the distinction between clucking in normal situations, cackling during egg-laying, and squawking when communicating with each other conveys different messages, such as danger or contentment. However, these vocalizations primarily involve sounds produced by the chick itself or other chicks within the flock.
Chick auditory development commences during the embryonic stage. Research indicates that chicks respond to external sounds around 16 to 18 days of age. Upon hatching, chicks perceive lower-frequency sounds, while higher-frequency sounds induce stress. But what are the experiences of other poultry farmers in utilizing music within their poultry houses?
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Chicken music therapy: Evidence Suggests Chickens Enjoy Music
Anecdotal evidence suggests that chicks derive pleasure from music. Numerous poultry farmers and agriculturalists share stories of their chicks’ enjoyment of music. Some claim that their chicks become calmer, lay more eggs, and even synchronize their movements in response to music.
In some instances, chicken owners have reported that playing soothing and melodic tunes calms their chickens and reduces aggressive behavior. One farmer, for example, observed that playing calming classical opera music in the background increased egg production from 4 to 8 eggs per chicken per week. These observations have led to the belief that chicks may have an affinity for music.
Research on Music and Chickens: What Do Scientific Findings Reveal About Chicks' Interest and Response to Music?
While anecdotal evidence suggests a fascinating interest in music among poultry, scientific findings in this area remain limited. Studies conducted to date have yielded mixed results. A 2011 study concluded that chicks prefer music with consonant intervals over music with dissonant intervals.
The difference in pitch between two notes is called an interval. Two notes can be played simultaneously (harmonically) or sequentially (melodically). The closer the frequency between two simultaneously played notes, the more consonant or pleasing the interval is considered.
The Effect of Music on Chicken Brains
The Impact of Music on Laying Hens: The Effect of Ambient Music on Egg Production
A study conducted at the University of Bristol in collaboration with Happy Egg Co. revealed that laying hens prefer classical music. The researchers played classical, pop, and rock music in different nest boxes, leaving one box without music. They observed the hens’ behavior and compared their responses. The music was played for the hens at different times of the day over eight weeks, and their behavior was monitored.
The results indicated no significant difference in egg production between the groups. However, Laying hens exhibited a preference for the nest box with classical music, laying 6% more eggs in that box.
Happy Egg Co. also commissioned three songs specifically composed for hens by Jack Ketch. These songs can be downloaded from SoundCloud upon request.
In 2006, a study published in the California Journal of Engineering titled “Does Music Affect Chickens’ Laying Patterns?” investigated the impact of music on egg production. The researchers used three genres of music: rock (Broken Heart by Led Zeppelin), reggae (One Love by Bob Marley), and classical (an excerpt from Mozart’s Symphony No. 5). The experiment was conducted over two weeks, with each music genre played for one week, followed by a week without music. The hens’ diet was controlled and consistent throughout the experiment.
The results showed a remarkable effect of music on egg production. Hens produced the most eggs during the rock music week, with an average of 33 eggs per hen. Classical music was in second place with 30 eggs per hen, followed by reggae music with 20 eggs per hen.
The Impact of Music on Broilers
Relatively few studies have examined the effects of music on broilers, and the results have been somewhat inconsistent.
Of course, there are always conflicting studies, so it’s important to be aware of those as well. For instance, another study played two types of music at two volume levels for broilers. The birds were divided into four groups: control (ambient noise), dinner music at low volume, dinner music at high volume, and rock and roll at low volume, and rock and roll at high volume. The music was played continuously for 12 hours per day. The broilers were exposed to the music from 8 to 63 days of age.
The results of this experiment showed no difference in body weight, feed intake, or performance between the music treatments. The broilers were initially startled by the music but adapted to it after a week.
On the other hand, other studies have found that broilers exposed to loud noises (5 minutes of loud noise, 10 minutes of silence) had lower weight gain than birds that were not exposed to loud noises.
It’s worth noting that in humans, while calming music has been reported, the benefits of silence have also been documented. Therefore, when exposing poultry to music, it may not be necessary to do so continuously. This could explain why researchers have found mixed results in broilers across different studies.
Does Classical Music Affect the Welfare of Broilers under Different Stocking Densities?
Researchers at Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China, investigated Effect of classical music on growth performance, stress level, antioxidant index, immune function and meat quality in broilers at different stocking densities.
A total of 540 one-day-old broiler chicks with similar body weight were randomly divided into 6 treatment groups with 6 replicates each. The treatments consisted of two feeding environments (with/without classical music) and three stocking densities (15.5, 17.9, and 20.3 birds/m²).
The results regarding stocking density showed that:
- Increasing stocking density decreased the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG) of broilers.
- Increasing stocking density increased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality of broilers.
- Increased stocking density led to a rise in serum corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels. The release of CORT and ACTH in broilers is a biological response to stress. Elevated CORT levels trigger a decrease in blood insulin, while ACTH stimulates the production of cortisol, a hormone involved in regulating carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. Cortisol also suppresses immune responses and contributes to blood pressure regulation.
- Increasing stocking density decreased the serum levels of total protein and increased the levels of cholesterol and glucose.
- Increasing stocking density decreased the spleen and bursa indices, immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin M (IgM).
- Increasing stocking density increased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX).
In essence, increasing stocking density impairs the immune and digestive systems of broilers. However, classical music stimulation partially alleviates these negative effects, resulting in broilers with a fixed feed intake having higher growth and lower mortality.
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A 2022 study investigated the effect of Environmental Enrichment with Music and Strobe Light Broilers’ Welfare The experiment was conducted on a commercial broiler farm from 21 to 35 days of growth.
The auditory stimulus consisted of playing a classical music piece for approximately 6 minutes each day, five times a day from the first day of bird age for six weeks. The light stimuli were from a colored flashing projector (red and green) with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) along with the music.
The broilers’ responses (from 21 to 35 days) were recorded, and the birds’ behaviors were classified as welfare and stress-related. Environmental enrichment with light stimuli increased natural behaviors of broilers such as eating, stretching, pecking at the ground, and flapping wings. Overall, the environmental stimuli provided better walking ability for the birds but increased the incidence of pododermatitis (p < 0.01). Pododermatitis is a multifactorial inflammation of the footpads.
However, an increase in the frequency of stress-related behaviors was also observed in the light-stimulated environment.
Can Music Improve Poultry Performance
As evident in the presented research, the findings are mixed, highlighting the need for careful consideration of various factors and conditions. The discrepancies could stem from the specific music genre, volume, and duration of exposure, which may influence how birds respond to music. Additionally, the rearing environment may vary, introducing single or multiple confounding factors. Overall, while the studies suggest that music may not be entirely inconsequential, further research is necessary to reach definitive conclusions in this area.
Sound management in poultry farms
If you’re considering incorporating music into your poultry farm to enhance the well-being of your chickens, here are some key guidelines to follow:
- The Best Music Selection for Chickens
- Genre: Based on current research, classical, calming, and instrumental music seem to have a more positive impact on chickens.
- Tempo and Rhythm: Opt for music with a moderate tempo and gentle rhythm.
- Scheduling: Avoid continuous music playback. Silence can also be soothing. Consider using a timer to automatically turn the sound system on and off at specific times.
- Consistency: Maintain a regular music schedule and avoid sudden changes in timing or music type.
- Environmental Awareness: Durin hot and stressful days, use music with a slower and more calming rhythm.
- Poultry Farm Music Volume Adjustment
- Appropriate Volume: Refrain from playing music at excessively high volumes.
- Gradual Introduction: Start with low volume to avoid shocking and stressing the chickens.
- Monitor Chicken Behavior: Observe the chickens’ behavior while playing music and adjust the volume accordingly if any negative reactions are noticed.
- Strategic Speaker Placement in Poultry Farms
- Complete Coverage: Position the speakers to ensure even sound distribution throughout the entire area.
- Suitable Height: Mount the speakers at an appropriate height for uniform sound dispersion.
- Avoid Obstructions: Refrain from installing speakers in locations that hinder air circulation or chicken movement.
- Monitoring and Maintenance: Regularly check the sound system’s functionality and music quality.
Remember, the key to effective music implementation lies in careful selection, appropriate volume levels, strategic placement, and ongoing monitoring. By following these guidelines, you can create a harmonious and stress-reducing environment for your chickens, potentially contributing to their overall well-being and productivity.