Document type : scientific article published in Animal Science Journal
Authors: Ana Carla Moreira Cardoso, Jaqueline Murbach Braz, Agnes Markiy Odakura, Caio Cesar dos Ouros, Rodrigo Garófallo Garcia, Maria Fernanda de Castro Burbarelli, Marconi Italo Lourenço-Silva, Ibiara Correia de Lima Almeida-Paz, Cláudia Marie Komiyama, Fabiana Ribeiro Caldara
Abstract in French (translation): Impact of music, as an environmental enrichment, on chronic stress and anxiety-related responses in broiler chickens
This study evaluated the effects of classical music, as an auditory environmental enrichment, on chronic stress and anxiety-related responses in broiler chickens. Two hundred Cobb 500 chicks were divided into a control group (without enrichment) and an enriched group, which was exposed to classical music for 6 hours per day from 1 to 40 days of age. At 40 days of age, emotional states were assessed using the Attention Bias Test (ABT), while chronic stress was evaluated through corticosterone (CORT) concentrations in feathers. Chickens exposed to music had significantly lower CORT concentrations in their feathers than those in the control group (p ≤ 0.0001), indicating a reduction in chronic stress. No significant treatment effect was detected for the behavioral measures of the ABT. However, chickens exposed to music showed a numerically longer latency before taking the first step (p = 0.055), although this difference did not reach the threshold for statistical significance. Overall, these results demonstrate that enrichment with classical music can reduce physiological indicators of chronic stress in broiler chickens, while evidence of effects on anxiety-related behaviors remains inconclusive. The results suggest that auditory enrichment may help reduce chronic stress in broiler chickens under the conditions evaluated and highlight the need for further reproducible studies to clarify its effects on affective states and behavioral responses.
Preview:
This study evaluated the effects of classical music as auditory environmental enrichment on chronic stress and anxiety-related responses in broiler chickens. Two hundred Cobb 500 chicks were assigned to a control group (no enrichment) or an enriched group exposed to classical music for 6 h daily from 1 to 40 days of age. At 40 days, affective states were assessed using the attention bias test (ABT), while chronic stress was evaluated through feather corticosterone (CORT) concentrations. Music-exposed birds had significantly lower feather CORT concentrations than controls (p ≤ 0.0001), indicating reduced chronic stress. No significant treatment effects were detected for ABT behavioral measures. However, music-exposed birds showed a numerically longer latency to take the first step (p = 0.055), although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Overall, these findings demonstrate that classical music enrichment can reduce physiological indicators of chronic stress in broilers, while evidence for effects on anxiety-related behavior remains inconclusive. The results suggest that auditory enrichment may help reduce chronic stress in broilers under the conditions evaluated and highlight the need for further replicated studies to clarify its effects on affective states and behavioral responses.
