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The welfare of cull dairy cows in British Columbia
Two studies have recently been published on the welfare of cull dairy cows from the Animal Welfare Program. In one, cull dairy cows were monitored from 20 farms in British Columbia. We found that most cows took three days or more to reach the slaughter plants. The study investigates the impact on duration of transport…
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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
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Minor procedural variations affect dog behaviour during sociability assessments
A new paper from the Animal Welfare Program discusses how minor procedural variations affect dog behaviour during sociability assessments. These standardized tests to evaluate a dog’s sociability towards humans are often used to make life and death decisions for dogs in shelters. However, new data have found that minor variations in these tests result in…
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Animal Welfare Program at virtual National Animal Welfare Conference
This past week, Animal Welfare Program members (current and alumni) presented at Humane Canada’s National Animal Welfare Conference. Despite moving to a virtual platform due to COVID-19, the conference still hosted 886 registrants, 36 sessions with 56 speakers. The virtual conference was held May 20-21, and the sessions will be available to registered participants until…
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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
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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…
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Dr. Kristen Walker awarded Killam Teaching Prize
Congratulations to Dr. Kristen Walker, Instructor of Applied Biology at LFS! Kristen was recently honoured with the Killam Teaching Prize in recognition of her outstanding contributions to teaching. Through her use of experiential learning, engaging classroom practices and innovative course creation, she has had a deep and positive impact on her students. She is also…
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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
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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…
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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…