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Research

Research on animal welfare science and ethics at the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine has  focused on five key themes:

  1. Stakeholder engagement for improved policy and practice in farm animal welfare
  2. Routine data capture and utilisation for monitoring farm animal welfare 
  3. Veterinary ethics 
  4. Veterinary Behaviour Medicine
  5. Equine Health and Welfare

Current areas of research include Understanding Tail-Biting Risk Factors and Control in Fully Slatted Pig Production Systems (PigNoDock);  Using a 'One Welfare' framework to develop alternative high welfare pig production systems (OneWelPig); Racehorse welfare assessment; Optimising the welfare of ex-racehorses involved in equine assisted therapy;  Moral stress amongst veterinary team members; Automated detection of lameness in dairy cattle; Animal welfare agricultural payment policy options.

Completed research projects include:

  • Management of acutely injured bovines (Funded by DAFM)
  • An Evaluation of Quality Assurance Schemes in the context of dairy cow welfare 
  • SWAB Surveillance, Animal Welfare and Biosecurity in farmed animals in Ireland (Funded by DAFM)
  • Effect of design and management of out-wintering pads on the health and welfare of dairy cows (Funded by Teagasc Walsh Fellowship)
  • Welfare aspects of grass-based systems of milk production (Funded by Teagasc Walsh Fellowship)
  • Influence of in situ utilisation of winter crops on the performance of foraging behaviour of dairy cows (Funded by Teagasc Walsh Fellowship)
  • Refining Current Systems of Early Warning and Prevention of On-Farm Animal Welfare Incidents (Funded by DAFM)
  • Assessing the impact of quality assurance programmes on cattle welfare and related farmer behaviours (Funded by DAFM)
  • Evaluation of abattoir meat inspection as a welfare surveillance tool for commercial pig units with a special emphasis on the island of Ireland (Funded by the Wellcome Trust)
  • Challenges and Solutions to Support Good Equine Practice in Ireland (Funded by World Horse Welfare)
  • Current and Future Challenges Facing the Veterinary Profession in Ireland (Funded by Veterinary Council Education Trust Newman Fellowship)
  • Exploring the Understanding of Common Canine and Feline Behaviour Problems by Veterinary Professionals in Ireland
  • One Welfare: the human element of farm animal neglect (Funded by DAFM)
  • The development of ante-mortem and post-mortem meat inspection of pigs as a welfare diagnostic tool

More information on animal welfare research at UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and  a full list of research publications are available from the lead researchers:

(opens in a new window)https://people.ucd.ie/siobhan.mullan  

(opens in a new window)https://people.ucd.ie/alison.hanlon 

(opens in a new window)https://people.ucd.ie/vivienne.duggan

UCD Animal Welfare Science & Ethics

Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7777