July 6, 2020
In a series of studies, we investigated the expression of different personality traits in dairy calves and their consistency until adulthood, and how these personality traits affect how dairy calves feed, grow, interact with others, and respond to stressful management practices.
Posted in 2020, Research Reports | Tagged with
May 1, 2020
In this study we followed cull cows from dairy farms in British Columbia to their final destination in order to understand the kind of journeys they undergo, the delays that can occur, and their condition on arrival at the final destination.
Posted in 2020, Research Reports | Tagged with
March 4, 2020
Monitoring increases in physical activity, using pedometers and accelerometers, reveals a correlation between the intensity of estrous expression and pregnancies per insemination.
Posted in 2020, Research Reports | Tagged with
January 6, 2020
Cows often become sick in the ‘transition’ period around calving, and many dairy cows are lame, but research to date has not considered how lameness may put cows at risk for transition cow diseases. In recent research at UBC we studied the development of lameness during the dry period, and the association between lameness and […]
Posted in 2020, Research Reports | Tagged with
October 11, 2018
Grooming behavior is expressed by many animals, including cows, and helps them maintain a healthy coat and skin. Cows can groom themselves and herd mates by licking. When housed in naturalistic environments, they also use trees or other structures to scratch parts of their body that are otherwise difficult to reach.
Posted in 2018, Research Reports | Tagged with
July 19, 2018
When farm animals become injured, farmers must decide whether to treat, transport, euthanize, or use on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES). OFES is one end-of-life option for animals that cannot be transported humanely but are fit for human consumption.
Posted in 2018, Research Reports | Tagged with
January 17, 2017
To provide some insight into understanding the public’s views of animal agriculture, we conducted two studies, one asked participants how they would describe the ideal dairy farm and the second where participants were surveyed before and after touring a dairy farm.
Posted in 2016, Research Reports | Tagged with
January 17, 2017
The European community has placed some effort into understanding the public’s views of animal agriculture, including the dairy industry. However, little is known about the expectations of the dairy industry by North American citizens. To provide some insight on this issue we conducted two studies, one where we asked participants how they would describe the […]
Posted in 2016, Research Reports | Tagged with
March 22, 2016
Providing quality care for recumbent (‘downer’) cows is a crucial role for the modern dairy farmer. Cases of poor quality care can harm both the cow and the reputation of the dairy industry. Providing good care can be both time- and labour-intensive. Producers must choose between available treatments, how to relocate the cow in the […]
Posted in 2016, Research Reports | Tagged with animal welfare
July 24, 2015
As anyone who has worked with cattle knows, cows produce a huge volume of urine and feces each day. All that manure quickly adds up, increasing the risk of slips and falls, mastitis and lameness. Accumulation of manure is also costly in terms of both bedding and labour costs. Consequently, dairy barns are typically designed […]
Posted in 2015, Research Reports | Tagged with animal behaviour, research, vol 15-2