A5007023002- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
- Meat and Animal Product Quality
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
University of New England
2019-2024
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
2019-2024
Agriculture and Food
2019-2024
Assessment of negative affective states is a key component animal welfare research. In laying hens, excessive fearfulness results in reduced production and increased sensitivity to stress. Fearfulness can be defined as response known threat, but anxiety an unknown threat may have similar consequences. The open field test tonic immobility are commonly applied measure hens. An attention bias that measured individual hen's responses playback conspecific alarm call the presence food was recently...
Pasture-based beef cattle are raised in a range of production environments. Some paddocks may contain trees and other objects that allow for grooming, hence being naturally enriching, whilst others be barren without these opportunities. Additionally, it is not uncommon to move between enriched environments as part routine management. While the benefits enrichment well studied, how this 'enrichment loss' impacts welfare access stimuli removed unknown. This trial assessed loss an enriching...
The weaning of beef calves in yards places multiple stressors on the animals, and environmental enrichment may help mitigate some these improve animal welfare. This trial assessed impacts provision to during yard using measures biological functioning, behaviour, affective state. Overall, utilised brush more than other provided enrichments, which were a hanging rope ball. Enrichment influenced behaviours both an attention bias test, with enriched exhibiting associated greater anxiety, novel...
An attention bias test has been developed as a measure of negative affective states in sheep. The measures an individual's allocation between threatening (previous location dog) and positive (conspecific photo) stimulus over 3 min period. This study replicated previously inconclusive study, to determine whether the could assess under more controlled conditions with younger population animals. Pharmacological treatments were used induce anxious, calm, happy, control prior entering arena (n =...
Environmental enrichment can improve livestock welfare through increasing environmental complexity to promote a greater range of natural behaviours. However, there is limited understanding the need for and impacts enrichments extensively managed beef cattle that sometimes be kept in grassed paddocks devoid additional artificial features, i.e., ‘barren pastures’. This trial assessed which preferred utilised barren paddock environment. Eight groups seven Angus steers housed on pastured or...