Mastodawn

Maria Camila Ceballos Jul 26, 2023

I am happy to share the radio interview I had at The Homestretch program -CBC Calgary, about the research in collaboration with Dr. Berardo Rodriguez and the team from the University of Antioquia on 🐷 music 🎶!
I was super nervous 😅
Hear it 👇🏼

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-97/clip/15999512

How music can enrich the lives of pigs | The Homestretch with Chris dela Torre, Jenny Howe | Live Radio | CBC Listen

Maria Camila Ceballos, an assistant professor of animal welfare and behaviours at the University of Calgary, talks about her team's research into how music can enrich the lives of animals.

CBC Listen

Maria Camila Ceballos Mar 3, 2023

Are you interested in understanding how pre-calving positive tactile stimulation affect post-calving maternal behaviors in primiparous Gyr dairy cows? you should read our recent publication about it! 👇🏼🐮

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/5/921

Effects of Training for First Milking Involving Positive Tactile Stimulation on Post-Calving Maternal Behaviors in Primiparous Gyr Dairy Cows

In dairy systems with Zebu breeds, calves are not immediately separated from their dams after calving; consequently, maternal care and protective behavior are important, influencing both productive performance and stockpeople’s safety. Our objectives were to: (1) investigate the effects of a training protocol involving pre-calving positive stimulation, delivered prior to calving, on the maternal care of primiparous Gyr cows; and (2) evaluate the effects of this training protocol on maternal protective behavior towards handlers during the first calf handling. Primiparous dairy Gyr cows (n = 37) were allocated into two groups: training (n = 16) and control (n = 21). Animal behaviors were recorded in three periods: post-calving, first calf handling, and post-handling. Maternal protective behavior during calf handling was assessed from measures of aggressiveness, attention, displacement, and agitation. Calf latency to stand up (p < 0.01) and sex (p < 0.01) differed between the training and control groups. The training group had less touching (p = 0.03), more time not interacting with the calf (p = 0.03), tended to be less protective (p = 0.056), and moved less (p < 0.01) during the first handling of their calves. In conclusion, the primiparous dairy Gyr cows subjected to pre-calving training protocol displayed less maternal care and displacement during the first handling of their calves and tended to be less protective.

MDPI

Maria Camila Ceballos Feb 24, 2023

The University of Calgary just published this video called “what’s your jam”. I confess that I liked it a lot, and I feel honoured to be able to share a little bit of my story and “Jam” in this way. Thank you so much, arch and University of Calgary.

Watch it at this link 👇

https://archmagazine.ucalgary.ca/providing-a-good-quality-of-life-is-the-least-we-can-do/

Providing a Good Quality of Life is the Least We Can Do - arch magazine

Maria Camila Ceballos knew she wanted to care for animals. She just didn’t know it would be in Canada and in the field of animal science.

arch magazine -

Maria Camila Ceballos Feb 22, 2023

I’m thrilled to share our new publication “Spectro-temporal acoustic elements of music interact in an integrated way to modulate emotional responses in pigs”
🐖🎼🐷🎸🥁🐽🎶🎸
Collaboration between @UdeA,@UNALOficial,@ucalgaryvetmed Read more👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30057-5

#CienciaCriolla #appliedethology #AnimalWelfare

Spectro-temporal acoustic elements of music interact in an integrated way to modulate emotional responses in pigs - Scientific Reports

Music is a complex stimulus, with various spectro-temporal acoustic elements determining one of the most important attributes of music, the ability to elicit emotions. Effects of various musical acoustic elements on emotions in non-human animals have not been studied with an integrated approach. However, this knowledge is important to design music to provide environmental enrichment for non-human species. Thirty-nine instrumental musical pieces were composed and used to determine effects of various acoustic parameters on emotional responses in farm pigs. Video recordings (n = 50) of pigs in the nursery phase (7–9 week old) were gathered and emotional responses induced by stimuli were evaluated with Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA). Non-parametric statistical models (Generalized Additive Models, Decision Trees, Random Forests, and XGBoost) were applied and compared to evaluate relationships between acoustic parameters and pigs’ observed emotional responses. We concluded that musical structure affected emotional responses of pigs. The valence of modulated emotions depended on integrated and simultaneous interactions of various spectral and temporal structural components of music that can be readily modified. This new knowledge supports design of musical stimuli to be used as environmental enrichment for non-human animals.

Nature