ATTRACTION OF NEWBORN PIGLETS TO AUDITORY, VISUAL, OLFACTORY AND TACTILE STIMULI

Newborn piglets were removed from their dam and their responses to a variety of sensory stimuli were tested in four experiments. Test stimuli were presented simultaneously in multiple-choice arenas. Piglets allowed to choose among recordings of sow vocalizations, piglet vocalizations or white noise in a 5-min test spent more time in proximity to vocalizations of sows and piglets than near white noise. This was significant for males (P < .01) but not for females. Piglets choosing among illumination levels (bright, dim or dark) in a 5-min test showed a strong preference for either dim or dark areas over bright light (P < .01), with no difference between attractivity of dim and dark areas. Piglets choosing among birth fluids, sow's milk or tap water during a 5-min test spent more time with maternal odors than with water (P < .05). No difference in attractivity between birth fluids and sow's milk was apparent. Preferences of piglets to move either with or against the direction of hair growth were tested using the mid-back area of the sow as a test surface. Piglets moved with the direction of hair growth twice as often as against the growth of hair (P < .01). Results of these experiments indicate that piglets can discriminate among auditory, alfactory, visual and tactile stimuli immediately after birth.