Effect of noise on performance, stress, and behaviour of animals

Abstract

The paper deals with findings in animal’s response to noise. Factors including species, gender, age, and length of exposure on metabolism, performance, health, reproduction, and behaviour are discussed. The review covers research carried out on farming animals mainly, but contains also general literary sources on response from laboratory animals. This paper summarises the auditory range and some typical levels of sound that have been recorded for farm animals inside and outside housing, during transport and lairage stay. Effects of continuous and sudden noise on animals are also presented in detail. More physiological and behavioural responses have been described as increased hormonal production, increased heart rate, and reduction in production. Animal species exhibit a wide variety of responses to noise. Some animal species are more sensitive than others, because they may exhibit different forms or strengths of responses.