19 June 2018

 

ANGELA LEES

• Research Scientist
• Livestock Systems (RP4)
• Angela is based @ Armidale

 

 

Topic: BENCHMARKING FEEDLOT CATTLE WELFARE

Research-area, importance, impact:

• Animal welfare was identified as the biggest risk to the red meat industry (MISP, 2016) from loss of market share. Benchmarking animal welfare is a relatively new concept. Our project will provide a tool to allow producers and industry to monitor animal welfare performance over time. Utilising benchmarking initiatives presents an opportunity to establish protocols to understand and continually improve animal welfare to meet consumer expectations.

Area/s of expertise:

• My role within the Animal Behaviour and Welfare team is aimed at investigating opportunities for benchmarking cattle welfare within the feedlot industry.
• My previous research experiences are predominantly with heat stress in cattle (beef and dairy) and sheep, but I also have experience with horses and echidna’s

.

DREWE FERGUSON

• Research Director
• Livestock Systems (RP4)
• Drewe is based @ Armidale

Topic: FUTURE LIVESTOCK – WE CAN’T WAIT FOR THE COWS TO COME HOME

Research impact:

• Increased production efficiency
• Improved sustainability
• Increased consumer satisfaction/demand

Area/s of expertise :

• common or garden variety animal scientist with a bit of knowledge about muscle biology/meat science and animal welfare

 

.

ALI SMALL

• Principal Research Scientist
• Livestock Systems (RP4)
• Ali is based @ Armidale

Topic: Providing evidence to support registration of pain relief products for sheep

Research-area, importance, impact:

Customers and consumers are seeking ‘high-welfare’ livestock products e.g. wool and meat. To prevent health problems and improve management, sheep undergo certain husbandry procedures that cause pain, but prior to 2006 there were no pain relief products registered for sheep, and between 2006 and 2016, only a spray-on local anaesthetic for open wounds. Our research has facilitated registration of an injectable and an oral formulation of systemic pain relief drugs, both of which were registered in 2016. Wool industry data suggests that over 80% of sheep now receive pain relief when undergoing these husbandry procedures, and producers that use pain relief are receiving premiums for the wool produced.

Area/s of expertise:

Originally a practising veterinarian, I moved into science through veterinary public health and meat microbiology. I have extensive experience in meat production and livestock welfare both on-farm and at slaughter, and believe that if we produce animal-based products, we should do so in the best manner we can. Current research activities use animal behaviour and physiology measures to develop improved or alternative animal management procedures for a range of livestock industries.

 

 

Venues	Local Time	Time Zone
Adelaide Waite Campus – B101-FG-R00-SmallWICWest	12:00 pm	ACST
Armidale – B55-FG-R00-Small	12:30 pm	AEST
Brisbane St Lucia QBP – Room 3.323	12:30 pm	AEST
Canberra Black Mountain – Discovery Lecture Theatre	12:30 pm	AEST
Canberra Crace – Bld44- Meeting Room 3	12:30 pm	AEST
Narrabri Myall Vale – Conference Room	12:30 pm	AEST
Perth Floreat B40-F1-R46-Rossiter Room	10:30 am	AWST
Sandy Bay (Hobart) – River View Room	12:30 pm	AEST
Toowoomba – Meeting Room	12:30 pm	AEST
Werribee (Melbourne) – Peacock Room	12:30 pm	AEDT