The Influence of Different Types of Outdoor Access on Dairy Cattle Behavior
New review paper from the Animal Welfare Program in Frontiers in Veterinary Science reviews the existing literature on how access to outdoor areas can influence dairy cattle behavior. Read the article: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00257/full
Social competition strategies of transition dairy cows
New research paper from the UBC Animal Welfare Program investigates the social competition strategies of transition dairy cows.The association between strategy change and metritis indicates that automatic behavioral measurements may help in early illness detection. Read article: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/5/854/htm
Investigating empathy in dairy calves
Recent research conducted at the University of British Columbia’s Animal Welfare Program has investigated empathy in dairy calves. In this study, published in PLoS ONE, calves witnessed two ‘demonstrators’ pen mates recover from different procedures: one from a common painful surgery (disbudding, which is the prevention of horn growth by cauterisation) and the other from […]
Animal welfare project co-led by Dan Weary awarded $1.4M by Genome Canada’s Genomics in Society Interdisciplinary Research Team
Congratulations to Animal Welfare Program Professor Dan Weary, academic co-lead on a $1.4M project funded by Genome Canada’s Genomics in Society Interdisciplinary Research Team program. He’ll partner with Michael von Massow (University of Guelph) to better understand barriers and opportunities for commercializing gene-edited beef and dairy products. News release
Can skin parasites increase cows’ motivation to use a grooming device?
Results of a recent Animal Welfare Program study suggest a reduction in brush use after the elimination of parasites in cows affected by chorioptic mange. Highlights: Cows with mange are motivated to access a mechanical brush Mechanical brush use by cows with mange declines after application of an anti-parasitic drug Cows retain a baseline level […]
Moo-dy Cows: In new research, Professor Marina von Keyserlingk finds dairy cattle undergo personality changes during puberty
Got a moody teenager? Cows can relate! While cattle’s personality traits are distinct and consistent at a young age and during adulthood, that isn’t the case during puberty. Researchers from the Animal Welfare Program in UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems conducted the long-term study to understand the development and stability of personality traits […]
Animal welfare research asks, when is the best time to pair-house calves?
Research from the Animal Welfare Program published in Progressive Dairy explores the best time to pair-house calves. The answer? As soon as possible. The research identified that early pair housing increases solid feed intake and weight gains in dairy calves. Read more
Research investigates public perceptions toward gene modification in dairy cattle
New research from the Animal Welfare Program looked into public perceptions toward genetic modification in dairy cattle. Specifically, the research team used a mixed method approach to investigate if citizens’ attitudes differed depending on the application. In addition, participants were told that the modification was done for different reasons, including improved animal welfare, farm profits, […]
What Difference Does a Visit Make? Changes in Animal Welfare Perceptions after Interested Citizens Tour a Dairy Farm
The UBC study on animal welfare perceptions following a dairy centre tour is amongst the top 10% most cited PLOS ONE papers published in 2016. Read full article Abstract Citizens’ concerns about farm animal welfare are often dismissed on the assumption that they are not well informed about farming practices. We conducted exploratory surveys of […]
New Research: A Lame Vacation Makes for Lame Production
New research in dairy cattle health and behaviour from UBC’s Animal Welfare Program was featured in a news article summarizing some of our recent research looking at the associations between lameness during the dry period, feeding behaviour and transition health. Read more at https://www.dairyherd.com/article/lame-vacation-makes-lame-production.