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Abstract :
[en] Before slaughtering pigs are subjected to multiple stresses, increasing the risk of PSE (pale, soft, exudative) meat. Reducing stress in pigs during the waiting period and during transport to the stunning area is one of the ways to improve their welfare while reducing this risk. The objective of this study was to test the influence of playing music in the slaughterhouse on pig behaviour and carcass pH. The study involved 24 batches of pigs from six farms: for each farm, two control batches (C) were compared with two batches exposed to music (M). The 12 C batches (n=588) and 12 M batches (n=580) were slaughtered on different days. The time between unloading and lying down (D, in minutes), facility of movement to the stunning area (F, score 1=difficult, 2=intermediate, and 3=fluid), and final pH (pH24) were measured/scored and compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. During the resting period, a 40-minute playlist of country music (to mask the noise of the slaughterhouse) was played, followed by a lullaby for 1h50 (to relax the animals) and 30-minutes of reggae (to reactivate and facilitate their movement to the stunning area). Pigs C and M layed down after 69 ± 28 minutes vs. 59 ± 20 minutes, respectively, and obtained a score of 2.7 ± 0.5 vs. 3.0 ± 0.0 (p < 0.05). Playing music had no significant influence on carcass pH (C: 5.60 ± 0.13 vs. M: 5.59 ± 0.12; P=0.22). In conclusion, playing music in the resting area was not associated with a difference in final pH, but was associated to a shorter time to lie down after unloading and seemed to facilitate movement to the stunning area, thereby reducing pig stress during the waiting period.
