BELGIUM: Scientists in Belgium are investigating a farmer’s claim that different styles of music affect the behaviour of his pigs.

Piet Paesmans first noticed the phenomenon when his son started singing a tune in the barn during a sluggish insemination session – his sows seemed excited and started wagging their tails.

Since then, he has created a playlist to coincide with different parts of the day, playing energetic music when he wants the pigs to be active and lullabies at the end of the day.

Paesmans explained that jolly dance songs are the biggest hits. The pigs really start wagging their tails, and when it's really dynamic, they even start dancing around and frolicking. Rock music is too strong, they don't like it.

The farmer tipped off a team of researchers who have now secured 75,000 euros of financing from an EU fund and the Belgian region of Flanders to investigate the claims.

According to project coordinator Sander Palmans, not much is known about pigs’ reaction to music, but Paesmans’ experience chimes with existing knowledge of the effects of sounds in general on animals.

The findings could have practical impacts for the industry as meat quality is affected by stress in animals. The results of the research are expected by the end of the year.

^{PHOTO: PIG FARMER PIET PAESMANS IN BARN LOOKING AFTER PIGS, PLAYING MUSIC TO THEM THROUGH SPEAKERS, TALKING ABOUT EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING MUSIC / SCIENTIST EXPLAINING RESEARCH}