Embryonic auditory stimulation and posthatch distress calling in the domestic chicken

Abstract

Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) were exposed to band-restricted white noise at one of two frequency levels and intermittency rates prior to hatching. After hatching, they were tested either with the same stimulus that they had experienced as embryos or with the stimulus of alternate frequency range and intermittency rate. Chicks emitted fewer distress calls when tested with a familiar stimulus than with a novel stimulus. The design of the experiment allowed the conclusion that prenatal auditory stimulation may induce filial behavior; it does not function only to enhance the behavioral expression of existing response tendencies.