Livestock Welfare

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Taking the Bull By the Horns: Helping Eradicate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) from Scotland

SEFARI scientists make a significant contribution to the Scottish Government’s BVD Eradication Scheme. We inform this scheme through our unique and multi-disciplinary approach that uses epidemiological, economic, social science and molecular science to explore the wide-ranging implications of BVD. We also communicate with farmers and their vets to help them identify, understand and eradicate this viral disease. Since 2010, this scheme has increased the number of Scottish breeding holdings with negative BVD status from 72% to 91%.

Representing SEFARI at UK Parliament

Leaving the European Union could have major repercussions on a wide range of environmental and land use concerns within Scotland, and across the whole of the UK. Whilst some of these issues may seem complex, it is increasingly recognised that SEFARI contains a wealth of expertise which can contribute to such discussions. Of course our place is not to delve into the politics, but to use our research and expertise to provide an evidence-led platform for discussion.

Through the Lens of Psychology: How Can Psychology Theory Help Us Improve the Way We Communicate Animal Health & Welfare Messages?

There are clearly a range of ways that animal health and welfare researchers and

Measurement of Antimicrobial Usage: What Can We Learn Across Livestock Sectors?

Microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) can become resistant to clinical or veterinary drugs (antimicrobials) that are used to treat disease. This has major consequences for how microbial diseases are managed and, therefore, how antimicrobial compounds should be used. Measuring antimicrobial usage (AMU) is a way to monitor the amount of medicines/chemicals that enter the food-chain, and the environment and this could help to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Major weight loss in pregnant cows harms the development of their calves

Body condition scoring is a rapid way to assess fat coverage of livestock. In cattle it is scored on a 1 (lean) to 5 (obese) scale. Scottish beef cows typically gain body condition when grazing and lose some of this condition during the winter before calving in the spring.

Previous Scottish Government funded work suggested that only a minority (~4%) of farmers used the recommended condition scoring approach and that there was wide variation in body condition of pregnant cows.

Dr Joanne Conington

Head of the Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Central Faculty. Research Interests:

Genetic and environmental influences on sheep and goat production, performance, health and survival
Development and implementation of broader breeding goals and indices for sustainable hill sheep production
Genetics of maternal traits in sheep and goats
Quantitative and molecular genetic solutions for disease control in small ruminants

Joanne Conington

SRUC, Roslin Institute Building,

Easter Bush, Midlothian

EH25 9RG

Professor Cathy Dwyer

Cathy's research has spanned basic science understanding of the neurobiological factors mediating differences in behaviour, to applied studies which seek to improve offspring survival on farm through improved management and genetic selection for key traits. Her current work in this area considers the benefits of experiencing maternal care for the offspring that extend beyond just nutrition and encompass security, protection and stress-buffering.

Cathy Dwyer

Animal & Veterinary Sciences,

SRUC, Roslin Institute Building,

Easter Bush,

Midlothian EH25 9RG

Iain McKendrick

Iain leads BioSS activities in the area of Animal Health and Welfare. As part of this. He manages BioSS consultancy inputs to the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department Research Programme 2: "Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture – Animals", as well as consultancy contracts relating to animal science from other organisations. In recent years our clients have included the Institute for Animal Health, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Deer Commission Scotland and a number of commercial companies.

Iain McKendrick

Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland
JCMB, The King's Buildings,
Peter Guthrie Tait Road,
EDINBURGH, EH9 3FD, Scotland, UK

Professor Rick D'Eath

My research uses animal behaviour as a way to measure animal welfare, or to understand and solve animal welfare problems which involve behaviour.

Rick D'Eath

Animal & Veterinary Sciences,

SRUC, Roslin Institute Building,

Easter Bush, Midlothian

EH25 9RG

Dr Roger Humphry

My interest and expertise lies in quantitative agricultural and environmental science. The current areas of my work are:

BVD, its eradication and sample size calculation for screening for BVD
Antimicrobial resistance and its measurement
The consequence of empirically derived contact networks in cattle on the spread of disease

Roger Humphry

Future Farming Systems
Epidemiology Research Unit
Plot 10, An Lòchran
Inverness Campus
Inverness
IV2 5NA

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Joanne Conington

Cathy Dwyer

Iain McKendrick

Rick D'Eath

Roger Humphry