Ever wondered what your pigs are saying? European scientists have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to decode pig sounds, aiming to make farm life happier for these lovable animals. 🐷💡
The innovative AI algorithm can interpret pig grunts, oinks, and squeals, helping farmers understand their pigs' emotions and improve their well-being. Elodie Mandel-Briefer, a behavioral biologist at the University of Copenhagen, co-led the study and shared that the tool could alert farmers to negative emotions in pigs, ensuring a better living environment.
Researchers from Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, Norway, and the Czech Republic analyzed thousands of pig sounds recorded in various scenarios like play, isolation, and competition for food. They discovered that different sounds indicate whether pigs are feeling positive or negative emotions.
While farmers are adept at observing their animals, most existing tools focus on physical health rather than emotional well-being. Mandel-Briefer emphasized, \"Emotions of animals are central to their welfare, but we don't measure it much on farms.\"
The AI has shown that pigs in outdoor, free-range, or organic farms, where they can roam and dig in the dirt, produce fewer stress calls compared to those in conventional setups. This insight could help consumers choose products from farms that prioritize animal happiness.
Imagine having an app that translates your pigs' emotions right to your phone! 🐖📱 Mandel-Briefer envisions this tool making waves in the farming community, allowing farmers to respond swiftly to their animals' needs.
Short grunts usually mean the pigs are happy, while longer grunts can indicate discomfort, such as during feeding disputes. High-pitched sounds like screams or squeals typically signal stress from pain, fights, or separation.
By leveraging AI, scientists can efficiently process and classify these sounds, making it easier to monitor and improve pig welfare automatically. As Mandel-Briefer put it, \"Artificial intelligence really helps us to both process the huge amount of sounds that we get, but also to classify them automatically.\" 🤖✨
