Sakura, a baby chimpanzee, is showing that chimps prefer melodic music. During a research trial to see which kind of music Sakura would chose, she preferred to listen to a pleasant melody than to discordant musical chords.
Santino, another clever chimp, who's at www.livesofanimals.org/2009/03/santino-rocks/
This shows us more fascinating evidence about the sentience of chimps. In this case, Sakura is in a human-designed, captive environment, which may be somewhat enriched, but which is still unnatural for a chimp. The fact that Sakura works out what to do in these circumstances tells us even more about chimp awareness and understanding. These abilities are strong indicators of animal sentience.
Sakura is not alone in preferring sweet music. Back in 2001, there was research investigating how cows reacted to fast beats or to softer music. The researchers said: “We found that slow music improved milk yields perhaps because it relaxes the cows in much the same way as it relaxes humans.”
Despite increasing awareness of animal sentience, there is still resistance to appreciating or acknowledging that animals are sentient beings and there is reluctance to peer over the barrier of “human vs other animals” that we ourselves have created.
Cows enjoy soothing sounds. Photo (c) Compassion in World Farming/Karen Playford
It was previously thought that this kind of choice and preference about music was a “uniquely human trait.” So we see that Sakura and the dairy cows have overcome yet another barrier!
Tags: animal agriculture, animal farming, calf, captive, Cattle, chimpanzee, Communicating, cow, dairy, emotion, Emotions, Intelligence, primate, sentience, understanding
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Floss was separated from her calf and sold at a market, but it seems she had other plans. She escaped from the new farm, eventually fetching up 60 miles away. Cows form a strong bond with their calves and she may have taken off to look for her calf.
Floss then spent the next nine months fending for herself. She hid during the day and looked for food at night, searching rubbish dumps and finding occasional hay supplies.
It is reported that she did not have an easy time as joyriders and others tried to run her down and shot at her.
Two local women began to help Floss. She was taken food and they raised £500 GBP to buy her from the farmer and took her to Hillside, an animal sanctuary.
One of her rescuers said: “Floss trotted off the back of the trailer and it was the most wonderful thing. She really deserves it. For an animal to look after herself all that time she deserves this life.”
Cows and their calves form strong family bonds. Image: Compassion/Martin Usborne
Tags: animal agriculture, animal farming, calf, Cattle, cow, emotion, freedom, maternal bond, sentience
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Kite’s Nest (even the name sounds idyllic!) is a very free-range farm with beef cattle, sheep and hens, where Rosamund Young and her family ensure the occupants have as natural a life as possible.
Rosamund says: “Cows are as varied as people. They can be highly intelligent, moderately so or slow to understand; friendly, considerate, aggressive, docile, inventive, dull, proud or shy.”
You may find this hard to believe. After all, we perhaps rarely think about how and where farm animals live, let alone about what they think, their likes and dislikes, and what friendships they may have with their own species and with others. We have really under-estimated them. Read the book ” The Secret Life of Cows” and be amazed!
Kite’s Nest Farm is really exceptional in the variety and beauty of all the creatures and plants that it hosts. Their film, ”The Secret Life of the Farm”, follows the farm animals, wildlife and the farm through the seasons.
Friends at Kites Nest. Image courtesy of Rosamund Young
A second film, “The Calf’s Year,” is just enchanting. Calves are playful, lively and interested in the world. This is a lovely film and it’s a really relaxing watch.
You might also like to see the Kite’s Nest website and blog.
Details of the book and films:
Young, R. (2006). The Secret Life of Cows: Animal sentience at work. The Good Life Press
Young, R. (2006). The Calf’s Year. The Good Life Press. Film, 40 mins approx
Young, R. (2004). The Secret Life of the Farm. The Good Life Press. Film, 60 mins approx
Tags: animal agriculture, animal farming, Cattle, cow, friendship, Natural behaviour
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In commercial farming, young animals such as piglets and dairy calves are separated from their mothers at a very young age. The weaning age and the rearing conditions can affect the physical health and the welfare of these very young animals.
This sow and her piglets benefit from better animal welfare conditions. Image: Compassion/Martin Usborne
Animals reared in more interesting, ‘enriched’ conditions are more settled and confident with their companions, and female animals seem to take more easily to rearing their young (when given the opportunity). For example, piglets who lived in outdoor enclosures before and after forced weaning had fewer problems than piglets in barren indoor conditions.
Young piglets need their mum
In intensive farming piglets are removed from their mother between 2-4 weeks of age. At this age they are still dependent on her for feeding, mothering and protection. A more natural weaning age would be 3-4 months.
The younger the piglets are when they are removed from their mothers, the more they squeal for her, try to jump out of the pen and rub their noses against the bellies of their companions, which can cause injuries. The piglets are probably looking for their mother’s udder or to gain physical contact with her.
This frantic behaviour is not seen in 8-week-old piglets in a semi-natural environment, but is commonly seen in commercial farms world-wide.
Dairy calves
Dairy calves in commercial farms are usually separated from their mother at only a few hours old, but natural weaning would take place at 9-11 months old. Often a cow whose calf has been taken away will walk up and down in an agitated way, calling out and apparently looking for her calf. Calves too often appear distressed at this time.
Researchers also looked at the long-term effects on the calf of separation in this way.
If calves are removed from their mother as new-borns, they may not call out for her so much, but their health and long-term development can be affected. If they are taken away from their mother after a longer time spent with her, they may be more distressed at the time, but their long-term development may be better and they may have more confidence to cope with new situations.
The vital bond between mother and young. Image: Compassion/Karen Playford
Tags: animal agriculture, animal farming, Cattle, Compassion in World Farming, emotion, Natural behaviour, sentience
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Farmer and award-winning journalist John Humphrys knows all about the importance of the sentience of farm animals. Describing the importance of kind treatment of farm animals, he says: “Good farming is about healthy and, yes, happy animals.”
Because farm animals are sentient beings, how they are treated is of vital importance to them.
Animals who are afraid of humans because they have been treated roughly or unkindly may be more stressed and suffer health and welfare problems.
Kind treatment is more likely to mean happy and well-cared-for cows. Now researchers have found that cows whose farmers talk to them by name are, perhaps unsurprisingly, more relaxed.
You can see the clip about the cows here.
Talking about dairy cows let out from the winter sheds into the great outdoors, John Humphrys says:
“They tear about the field, kicking their legs into the air …For six months they have lived in sheds, slept in stalls, stood on concrete. Now, once again, they have the grass beneath their feet. They seem, quite literally, to be full of the joy of spring. It lifts the spirits to watch them.”
Tags: animal agriculture, animal farming, Cattle, Compassion in World Farming, cow, dairy, Emotions, happiness, happy, sentience
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