The use of vocalization patterns of broilers to estimate welfare

• Grant number: 10/09153-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: May 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Rural Buildings and Ambience
• Principal Investigator: Irenilza de Alencar Naas
• Grantee: Erica Moura Pereira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola (FEAGRI). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The regulations of standards, standardization of farms in relation to the welfare and the demands of consumption are causing a major change in the production of broilers in Brazil. Thus, there is a concern about the quantity and quality of food production. These changes are occurring along with the development of new technological tools, which are used in conjuction with the animal production systems. These technological tools are being applied primarily in decision support systems, which use data from animal husbandry and behavior. The use of these computer programs and specific protocols assist producers by providing alternative and appropriate solutions to the problems faced in a daily basis within the farms. Thus, the welfare of animals has become a very interesting area of research in animal production. Therefore, the vocalization of the animals proved to be an important analysis tool, providing information on a non-invasive, also enabling its use in automated form. The vocalization of the animals shows the expression of their condition and can occur spontaneously or as a result of some external event, e.g., pain, hunger, thirst. The objective of this research is to implement an algorithm that allows the recording of the vocalization of broilers, the analysis and being able to recognize patterns in vocalizations and relate these to patterns indicative of welfare. The research will be divided into three steps: 1) obtaining the vocalizations, 2) development of the algorithm, 3) validation of the algorithm with the data collected.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

PEREIRA, Erica Moura. Vocalization pattern to estimate sexing and welfare. 2012. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola Campinas, SP.