Prenatal auditory stimulation modulates stress responses and behaviour in ducklings subjected to catching and crating

Prenatal auditory stimulation was evaluated for its effects on physiological stress indicators (heat shock protein 70 [HSP70], corticosterone [CORT], and ceruloplasmin [CPN]) and behavioral responses in Khaki Campbell ducklings subjected to catching and crating on post-hatch day 7. Fertilised eggs were assigned to three treatments: no additional sound (CONTROL), music (MUSIC; Mozart K.488), or noise (NOISE; vehicle horn), each at 90 dB SPL from embryonic day 15 until hatching. On post-hatch day 7, ducklings were crated for 4 h, after which physiological and behavioral responses were assessed. Catching and crating increased CORT, CPN, and HSP70. Ducklings exposed prenatally to MUSIC or NOISE exhibited lower CORT than CONTROL birds, with CPN concentrations lowest in NOISE. Behavioral responses varied among the PAS × crating treatment combinations, while T-maze success differed overall among the six treatment combinations, although adjusted pairwise comparisons were not significant. Overall, prenatal auditory stimulation modulated physiological responses, while selected behavioral responses varied among PAS × crating treatment combinations, suggesting potential effects on post-hatch stress responsiveness and behaviour.