The BSAS Early Careers day will take place on Monday 7th April, the day before the BSAS Annual Conference in beautiful Galway City. 

A mixture of workshops as well as invited speakers will take place during the day at Galway University campus before particpants head off to a social gathering in the evening.

MARK YOUR DIARY - you do not want to miss!

Save the date for the Grasslands Webinar which will take place on 6th November at 7:30PM.

Details coming soon.

Candidate requirements:
• Applications are invited from graduates holding a first or 2.1 class honours degree or M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences, Plant Biology/Botany, Soil Science, Agricultural Science, Atmospheric Physics Biochemistry or related discipline.
• The successful candidate should be practically and technically minded, and interested in using state-of-the-art technology and sensors to measure terrestrial C/GHG dynamics.
• The candidate should be self-motivated, prepared for extensive field-based and laboratory work and someone who enjoys data analysis, writing and communicating/disseminating their work.
• Prior experience in measuring carbon and greenhouse gas dynamics of terrestrial systems or soil based analyses would be advantageous.
• A full, clean Irish/European driving licence and fluency in English are essential.

Award:
The successful candidate will be enrolled for a 48-month (Structured) Research PhD programme in the School of Natural Sciences, Botany Discipline, Trinity College Dublin. The Fellowship provides full EU University fees and a stipend of €25,000 per annum for a duration of four years. Funds for project costs are also provided.

Application deadline: Extended from June 2024 until the position is filled.
Start Date: September 2024
 

Application Procedure:
Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Dr Matthew Saunders (saundem@tcd.ie) Interested applicants should submit, within a single PDF document, a CV with educational background, transcripts of degree results, list of publications and conference presentations, a short (1–2 page) letter of motivation and contact details for 2 referees submitted directly to Dr. Matthew Saunders (saundem@tcd.ie). The motivation letter should clearly state how the applicant’s research interests and skills relate to the research project outlined above.

Trinity College Dublin is committed to policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate on grounds such as gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race, religious belief, sexual orientation or membership of the travelling community. On that basis we encourage and welcome talented people from all backgrounds to join our staff and student body. Trinity’s Diversity Statement can be viewed in full at https://www.tcd.ie/diversity-inclusion/diversity-statement Funding Notes: This project is funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Project 'Carbon sequestration from Agricultural soils from different Land-uses, Managements and Soil types (CALMS) 2023RP948'.

This study was shortlisted for the 2023 Thesis of the Year Award and completed as part of Laura Dayot’s studies for a BSc Equine Science from University of Limerick.

Summarised by: Georgie Smith

Take away message: NIRS offers an accessible and accurate way to assess crude protein and pH of colostrum from the mare.

Introduction and aims

Foals are born immunodeficient and rely on immunoglobulins provided through ingestion of colostrum to kick start their immune system. Passive transfer of immunity from mare to foal via colostrum must happen within the first 24 hours of life as, without it, foals are highly vulnerable to disease and their chance of survival is low. Therefore, ability to assess colostrum (and milk) quality quickly and easily is of utmost importance to breeders/owners. A key measure of quality is protein concentration, specifically immunoglobulin G (IgG) but quality can vary greatly and be influenced by mare diet, age, breed and parity. NIRS offers a way to quantify various components of colostrum and milk with immediate results, offering opportunities for breeders/owners to step in if needing to provide any supplementary nutrients to mare or foal.

The aim of this study was to use NIRS and develop calibration models to measure crude protein (CP), non-protein nitrogen (NPN), true protein (TP), and pH in colostrum and milk from the mare.

Methods

Reference data were collected using traditional chemistry techniques such as Kjeldahl and protein precipitation which served as a base line to develop calibration models for the NIRS results. Equations were selected for calibration based on lowest standard error cross validation value and variance ratio. To ascertain how valid the NIRS results were, correlations were used to compare to the reference data and assessed via R2 values as per the table below:

Key findings

Colostrum had a much higher crude protein content than milk (p<0.001) with similar pH which was expected, given the literature. Age impacted colostrum crude protein content with significant differences between the 5-9 years and 15-20 years categories (p<0.05); the more aged group having lower crude protein values. Interestingly, significant impact of age was not seen in crude protein content of milk.

NIRS proved to be accurate for predicting crude protein and pH of colostrum, and acceptable for crude protein in milk but other parameters require improvement. Milk often gave poorer predictions than colostrum, likely due to increased water content as water will influence the NIR waves.

Conclusion

NIRS may offer a reliable tool to assess quality of colostrum and milk but further investigation is needed before it would be likely to replace current methods

The Animal AgTech Innovation Summit brings together over 250 animal agtech business leaders, innovators and investors to Europe. Join us for an exciting two days of exceptional networking and discovery of opportunities for innovation and investment in animal health, nutrition and precision technologies.

We are dlighted to offer BSAS members a 10% to attend. SImply use discount code BSAS10 to get your discount!

Introduction

Gene editing (which is one of the techniques being considered within the Precision Breeding Act) is at the forefront of agricultural innovation, offering techniques to alter the DNA of plants and animals, in a manner that is not distinguishable from normal genetic changes which happen in nature.

This method, notably utilising gene-editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9, enables targeted genetic modifications that mirror natural variations achievable through traditional breeding. Unlike genetic modification, which involves inserting genes from one species into another unrelated species, gene editing introduces traits that could be naturally selected for over time.  Increasing resistance to disease is one of the goals for use of the technique that has been progressed. While this has the potential for a major improvement in animal health, there is the possibility of unintended negative outcomes for other aspects of health, functionality and welfare that need to be explored. 

The potential practical applications of precision breeding, including gene editing, are vast, particularly in enhancing food production by improving traits such as nutritional content and disease resistance in crops and livestock. However, there are concerns with regard to precision breeding techniques, including gene editing, and this conference will explore the multifaceted aspects of these technologies, with a focus on gene editing, from scientific advancements and global perspectives to animal welfare and ethical considerations.

Conference Objectives

The ‘Gene editing farm animals’ conference aims to:

1. Explore Scientific Advances: Delve into the latest precision breeding, and especially, gene-editing technologies and their applications in agriculture.
2. Examine Ethical Considerations: Discuss the animal welfare and ethical implications and considerations for farm animals, ensuring responsible innovation and governance for the same.
3. Understand Global and EU Perspectives: Analyse the broader landscape of precision breeding policies and practices globally and within the EU and note their impact and any lessons learnt.
4. Engage with Farmers' Perspectives: Provide insights into how precision breeding, and especially gene editing, is perceived and utilized by farmers.
5. Facilitate In-Depth Discussions: Conduct panel discussions to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders.

Programme

09:00 Registration

Part 1: Chaired by Elizabeth Magowan | AFBI

10:00  Welcome

Elizabeth Magowan | AFBI

10:10 Session 1: Precision Breeding - Legislation
An overview of current and proposed UK legislation

Speaker: Alexander (AJ) Gilbert | Defra

10:35 Session 2: The Science
A comprehensive overview of the science behind precision breeding and especially gene editing in farm animals, including current research and technological advancements.

Speaker: Dr Simon Lillico | Roslin Institute

11:00 Session 3: Ethical Considerations in Precision Breeding
Exploring the moral and ethical issues surrounding the use of precision breeding and especially gene-editing technologies in agriculture.

Speaker: Professor Madeleine Campbell | Nottingham University School of Veterinary Medicine and Science

11:30 Break

11:50 Session 4: Animal Health and Welfare
Exploring the potential for positive and negative impacts on animal health and welfare, and methods that could be implemented to safeguard animal welfare

Speaker: Professor Marie Haskell | SRUC

12:10 Session 5: The Broader EU/Global Landscape
An analysis of the regulatory and policy frameworks guiding precision breeding in the EU and globally, highlighting differences and commonalities.

Speaker: Ana Granados Chapatte | European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders

12:30 Session 6: Case Study
Insights into how precision breeding, and especially gene editing, is being adopted by farmers and industry in some countries, including potential benefits and challenges from their viewpoint.

Speaker: Craig Lewis | Pig Improvement Company

13:00 – Lunch

Part 3: Chaired by Gareth Arnott | QUB

Session 7: Panel Discussion on Precision Breeding
A detailed panel discussion featuring experts from various fields to address pressing questions such as will gene editing be essential to feed a growing population sustainably? Are gene edited animals a bigger risk to One Health/One welfare?  Facilitating debate and knowledge sharing among attendees.

Panel Members:

Sarah Ison | Compassion in World Farming

Annie Williams | Business Development Manager, UK Agri-Tech Centre

Hugh Broom | NFU Livestock Board East Chair, Farmer

Alan Mileham | Genetic Visions

15:30 – Close

Conclusion

The ‘Gene editing farm animals’ one day Conference is set to be an informative and engaging event for scientists, industry professionals, and policymakers.  It is designed to provide scientific facts which enhance the understanding and knowledge of precision breeding and especially gene editing, in farm animals, among the wider industry, policy and scientific communities.  By examining the scientific, ethical, animal welfare and practical dimensions of precision breeding, the conference aims to promote sustainable and innovative agricultural practices and enhance awareness of this area of science so that the various actors across the food supply change can make better informed decisions on this topic.

Join us, in Manchester, on 7th November 2024, to be part of this pivotal event hosted by the British Society of Animal Science.

Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing are delighted to announce the publication of their new title, Advances in pig nutrition, edited by Emeritus Professor Julian Wiseman, University of Nottingham, UK.

Pig nutrition faces many challenges, including the need to meet the changing requirements of animals as they grow whilst minimising environmentally-damaging nutrient losses. Additionally, there is an emerging consensus that the sector must seek alternative, more sustainable feed sources which have a reduced impact on the environment.

This new book provides a comprehensive overview of the range of research addressing these challenges and book addresses recent advances in understanding feed intake and feed formulation, focussing on advances in understanding pig nutritional requirements and ensuring feed safety.

The book also reviews the role of feed additives in optimising pig nutrition, including amino acids, prebiotics and exogenous enzymes.

Find out more about this new book here.

*Special Offer*

Receive 20% off your purchase of the book – as well as any other published Pig Science titles in our series – using code PIGS20 via the BDS website. Discount code expires 30th September 2024.

Link to the event and registration: Nutrition Futures 2024 | The Nutrition Society

This two-day event is for animal and human nutrition students and graduates, and will provide them with the opportunity to:

• Meet other students.
• Make new friends and contacts.
• Present your own research findings in a friendly and supportive environment.
• Get professional feedback on your own CV. 
• Ask those burning questions of our inspirational careers panel.
• Improve your job-hunting strategy.
• Learn how to stand out from the crowd.

Author of the dissertation: Darcey Bowser, Duchy College

Summarised by: Dr. Viola Farci, SRUC

Key takeaway message: Horses’ agonistic behaviour is associated with management practices such as access to roughage, the presence of a routine, turn-out time, and enclosure size. An optimal management of these practices can positively contribute to the horse’s welfare and behaviour.

Introduction and aims:

Agonistic behaviours including aggressive, defensive and submissive behaviours can occur as a result of human action and/or management factors. It emerged from a survey conducted in 2009, that unwanted equine behaviours were a primary factor leading to their abandonment or rehoming due to the risks posed to both humans and horses.

 To effectively manage horses in a domestic environment, is essential to understand their evolutionary history, wild behaviours and motivations. In the wild, horses graze and roam freely in social groups for most of the day while domestic horses, especially within competition environment, often face restricted movement, limited grazing time, and imposed social structures, contrasting with their natural instincts.

Such management practices can result in a range of behavioural and health problems including but not limited to stereotypic behaviours, colics and weight loss. Furthermore, these limitations may contribute to elevated aggression levels, resulting in a greater frequency of injuries. The occurrence of aggressive behaviours seen in interspecific (horse to human) and intraspecific (horse to horse) interactions, is often associated with poor levels of welfare. At present, a standardised equine quality of life assessment framework is lacking, therefore, developing a behaviour-based system to accurately assess equine emotional states is vital. To do so, identifying the factors contributing to the prevalence of these behaviours is essential.

The aim of the study was to investigate the current modern management practices and how they contribute to the prevalence of equine agonistic behaviour in the UK.

Methods

A questionnaire comprising 42 standardised closed-ended questions was distributed online via several social media groups, collecting 428 responses. The questions gathered information on:

• owner and equine demographics
• horse management practices
• equine behaviour

Data was statistically analysed using a Chi-squared test on Minitab.

Key findings

The most prevalent directed agonistic behaviours reported were pawing (13.7%), nipping (10.6%), pushing (9.2%) and bite threat (8.5%) whilst the most common intra-specific behaviours were bite threat (27.7%), approach (26.8%), ears back (26.8%), herding (21.1%), kick threat (20.4%), chasing (16.8%), nipping (16.6%) and biting (10.2%). The association between management practices and agonistic behaviours is summarised in  the table below:

Table 1 showing the management practices associated with agonistic behaviours (human directed and intraspecific).

Yes= P<0.05

No=P>0.05

NA= not applicable

Conclusion :

In summary, this study identified some common practices that influence the equine agonistic behaviour, highlighting the need for optimising the management of domestic horses to ensure better welfare. Factors such as turn-out time, presence of a set routine and enclosure size significantly affect the agonistic behaviour of horses and need to be considered carefully.

This study was shortlisted for the 2023 Thesis of the Year Award and completed as part of Winter Drake-Wilkes’ studies for a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare from Abingdon and Witney College.

This study focused on a much under researched area: the welfare impacts of cats held in isolation units as part of the admission process at a rescue centre. The literature review shows that cats entering these situations are typically already showing signs of anxiety and fearfulness, as the vast majority of cats relinquished to rescues are reported to have problem behaviours. Under these conditions cats typically show one of two behavioural patterns, with some cats showing an ‘active’ response with frustration and often escape related behaviours shown, and the others a ‘passive’ response with withdrawal and a decrease in normal behaviours shown. Of particular issue within the second group of cats, the ‘passive’ responders is reduced food intake likely due to anxiety, and therefore the goal of this study was to examine two different types of enrichment and evaluate their ability to increase feed intakes.

The value of enrichment has been demonstrated in a multitude of different captive species and can be a valuable tool to help improve the experience of animals, especially in stressful situations. But enrichment  must be carefully chosen to ensure its relevance and usefulness to the species and situation – therefore this study ensured all other environmental factors remained the same and examined if the addition of either a water bowl raiser or a puzzle feeder would improve feed intakes in isolated cats. In total 14 cats of both sexes across a broad age and breed range were used, seven tested the raised water bowls, and seven the puzzle feeders. Initially a 3-day standard control period took place when feed intakes and behaviours were monitored before the enrichment item was added, following this the cats were monitored for four days whilst the enrichment remained in their pens.

The results showed a significant increase in feed intakes and feeding-related behaviours when the puzzle feeder was used, whereas the water bowl raiser made no difference to these factors. Feeding based enrichment is likely to stimulate natural predatory behaviours for cats and therefore may have a positive impact on their welfare, and as demonstrated here achieved the goal of increasing feed intakes. The raising of a water bowl seems less biologically relevant and highlights the need to consider the behaviours changed by introducing enrichment – I would suggest that increasing the height of a water bowl is not truly enrichment and this links to the lack of change in behaviours. Further research considering the most optimal type of puzzle feeder would be highly beneficial as many forms of this enrichment exist, and it would also be interesting to investigate individual responses and the link between more nervous cats and how effective enrichment is.

This research took place in the Denham branch of the RSPCA and all of the cats that took place in the studies were later successfully adopted!

Written by Dr Holly Vickery, Harper Adams University.

Early Career Day | 7th April 2025 | University of Galway

BSAS 2025 | 8th-10th April 2025 | Galway Bay Hotel, Galway, Ireland

An overview of the BSAS 2025 conference programme will be available soon

Abstracts and Proceedings

Submit your Abstract before 18th November 2024.

animal - science proceedings | Abstract Guidance

BSAS 2025 proceedings will be available to delegates attending the conference and then available, open access, via:

animal – science proceedings

Watch 2024 Sessions

BSAS 2024 President's Session

SPONSORSHIP EXHIBITORS PARTNERS

Please contact Maggie Mitchell if you are interesting in sponsoring or exhibiting at BSAS 2025. Last year attracted one of the largest delegate and sponsor turnouts in many years. We are working hard to ensure BSAS 2025 in Galway in as successful so get on board early and benefit from the full marketing campaign.

Teagasc with the support of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) and ABP are hosting an International Technical Conference in Ireland on the 16th, and 17th of October 2024 focusing on the production of beef from the dairy herd.

Click here to book your ticket!  

In recent years there has been a major increase in research efforts to address challenges around the production of beef from the dairy herd, including the development of a number of large-scale joint initiatives with industry partners.

The Dairy Calf-to-Beef International Conference will provide a platform for the dissemination of the latest results from these studies, as well as updates on state of the art technological advances in dairy-beef production, internationally.

In addition, this conference will provide an opportunity for delegates to learn about new innovations to promote sustainability within the sector and to underpin the future viability of dairy and beef sectors.

Leading national and international scientists will compare:

• intensive concentrate-based and pasture-based dairy-beef systems and their impact on financial and environmental sustainability;
• the impact of new developments in beef cattle genetics targeted for use in the dairy herd;
• nutrition of dairy-beef calves in early life;
• health of dairy-beef calves in intensive and pasture-based systems as well as
• measures to support better vertical integration of the dairy-beef industry.

PROGRAMME

Wednesday 16th October

09.00 - 09.45 Registration
09.45 - 10.00 Conference opening
10.00 - 12.00 Dairy calf-to-beef production systems

12.00 - 13.00 Lunch and poster viewing

13.00 - 17.00 Field trip (Johnstown Castle and ABP Demonstration Farm)
19.30 - late Gala dinner

Thursday 17th October

08.30 - 10.30 Breeding and reproduction
10.30 - 11.15 Coffee break and poster viewing
11.15 - 13.15 Calf nutrition – birth to yearling

13.15 - 14.00 Lunch

14.00 - 16.00 Health and welfare
16.00 - 17.00 Panel discussion on vertical integration
17.00 - 17.15 Close of conference

REGISTRATION
Registration fee:
Delegate rate: €250
Student rate: €200

Registration fee includes attendance at the two day event, lunch on both days, tea/coffee breaks, gala dinner and proceedings booklet.

For queries contact Ellen Fitzpatrick / Margie Egan
Ellen.fitzpatrick@teagasc.ie
Margie.egan@teagasc.ie

Closing date of registration is Friday 11th October at 12 noon

Sue Hatcher Appointed as New Editor-in-Chief of animal – science proceedings
Ignacio Fernández-Fígares Ibáñez and Francesco Vizzarri join the Editorial Board

The team at animal – science proceedings is thrilled to announce that Dr. Sue Hatcher, Director and Principal Scientist at Makin Outcomes Pty Ltd, will take on the role of Editor-in-Chief starting December 2024. Dr. Hatcher’s vast expertise and leadership in animal science will steer the journal into an exciting future of innovative research and comprehensive scientific dialogue.

With over 25 years of experience in the field, Dr. Hatcher has made significant contributions to animal breeding, genetics, and production systems. Her work has been widely recognised for its impact on advancing scientific understanding and practical applications within the animal science community. As the Director and Principal Scientist at Makin Outcomes Pty Ltd, she has demonstrated exceptional ability in driving scientific excellence and fostering collaborative research.

In addition to Dr. Hatcher’s appointment, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Ignacio Fernández-Fígares Ibáñez and Dr. Francesco Vizzarri to the editorial board. Dr. Fernández-Fígares, based in Spain, is renowned for his research in animal nutrition and physiology, while Dr. Vizzarri, (Slovakia), brings extensive expertise in animal feed and welfare. Their diverse backgrounds and knowledge will enhance the journal's capacity to address a broad spectrum of topics within animal science. They will enhance the current board comprising

• Giuseppe Bee - Switzerland
• Maria Font - Spain
• Liam Sinclair - United Kingdom
• Jaap van Milgen - France

Together, they represent a diverse and international perspective on animal science, ensuring that animal – science proceedings continues to publish  the proceedings of international conferences that address global challenges and opportunities in the field.

Dr. Hatcher expressed her enthusiasm for her new role, stating, "I am honoured to lead animal – science proceedings and look forward to working with an exceptional team to advance the journal's mission. Our focus will be on promoting rigorous research, fostering innovative approaches, and supporting the global animal science community."

As we prepare for this exciting transition, we extend our deepest gratitude to the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, [Prof Cledwyn Thomas], for his outstanding leadership and dedication over the past decade. His tenure has been marked by significant growth and the establishment of the journal as a leading publication in animal science.

Factors influencing the production of mycotoxins in grass silage and their effect on the rumen microbiome and health and performance of dairy cows

Primary supervisor: Prof Liam Sinclair, Harper Adams University

Non-academic partner: Dr Jules Taylor-Pickard, Alltech

Project description

Grass silage is the predominant forage fed to dairy cows in the UK. The aim when ensiling grass is to create an anaerobic environment to restrict proliferation of undesirable microbes, thereby maintaining the nutritive value over the winter-feeding period, and preventing spoilage. Factors such as the dry matter and sugar content of the grass, along with plant maturity and ensiling conditions can all affect the forage quality. Under adverse forage growing and ensiling conditions, or aerobic spoilage of clamps or bales at feed-out, fungal spoilage can be widespread. Under these conditions fungi can produce secondary compounds, including mycotoxins, which have been reported to occur in over 90% of the forage fed to cattle in temperate regions such as the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe. When present in the diet of cattle, mycotoxins and biologically active breakdown products can negatively affect gut function, health, fertility and production, and, in extreme cases, lead to death. Moreover, there is a risk that mycotoxins can be passed into the human food chain via the milk or meat.

Ruminants such as cattle rely on the activity of the microbes in the first stomach, or rumen, to digest feeds such as grass silage. Cattle can be more resistant to certain mycotoxins due to the activity of the rumen microbial community. However, most work has been undertaken on maize silage and few studies have been conducted on the mycotoxins commonly found in grass silage, or the subsequent effect of these compounds on the rumen microbiome. The ability of the rumen microbiome to efficiently digest forages is also dependent on a delicate balance of microbial species that can break down fibre and protein in the diet. An imbalance or shift in microbial population as a result of mycotoxins in grass silage may reduce digestive efficiency and indirectly impair health, milk performance and fertility.

Harper Adams University is one of the few centres in the UK that has the capability to carry out high impact research to investigate mycotoxin production in grass silage and subsequent effects on the rumen microbiome, rumen fermentation and immune response in dairy cows. These facilities allow us to ensile grass silage at multiple scales and under varying conditions to produce different levels of mycotoxins. Studies undertaken in vitro or in the animal can be undertaken to examine the ability of the microbiome to detoxify mycotoxins, and the uptake of biologically active compounds into milk. The rumen microbial community will be analysed using the current metagenomic and metabarcoding methodologies. Blood samples may be collected to examine the immune response to feeding forages with different mycotoxin loads, and strategies will be examined to mitigate and deactivate the effects of mycotoxins, such as the use of in-feed binder supplements. Mycotoxin analysis will be conducted by at a dedicated laboratory run by the industrial partner. 

Selection will be based on academic attainment, and research potential within the MIBTP Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). However, international student numbers are capped at 30% by the funders (BBSRC).

Successful candidates will receive a yearly stipend (paid monthly in advance) set at the UKRI rate: for 2024/5 this will be £19,237. In addition, the industry partner will provide a £2000 per year uplift to the stipend.

Harper Adams University is unfortunately unable to offer a fee waiver for international students applying to the MIBTP programme. Evidence of funding will be required for international students to show they can cover the difference between the UK and international student fees for the full four years of the programme: for the 2024/5 academic year this amount is £10,890.  However, scholarships may be available at the time of appointment to cover the difference between UK and International fees for the duration of the programme. 

Please note that in addition to the Harper Adams application form you will be required to complete an EDI form directly with MIBTP. 

Candidates are encouraged to contact Prof Liam Sinclair to discuss the project before applying if they wish to.

We are delighted to announce that the animal Journal has achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of its latest Impact Factor (IF). animal now boasts an impressive IF of 4.0, underscoring its growth and increasing influence over the past five years.

animal is an open-access, international scientific journal co-owned by The British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), INRAe, and the European Association of Animal Production (EAAP), and published by Elsevier. The journal's comprehensive coverage across various disciplines in animal science is reflected in its outstanding rankings: 4th out of 80 in the Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science category, and 8th out of 167 in the Veterinary Sciences category. These rankings are especially noteworthy given that animal publishes a significant proportion of original research articles (approximately 85%), in contrast to many higher-ranking journals that specialise in specific disciplines or predominantly publish review papers, which often attract more citations.

We are proud of the contributions from BSAS members, who consistently submit high-quality manuscripts to animal  and we encourage you to consider submitting your future manuscripts to animal and to explore opportunities to support the journal's growth by volunteering as a deputy section editor. Your contributions and expertise are invaluable to maintaining the high standards and continued success of our journal.

Additionally, members of BSAS can benefit from significant discounts on the article processing charges, as can our deputy section editors.

For more information or to express your interest in becoming a deputy section editor, please contact:

Isabelle Ortigues
Editor-in-Chief, Animal Journal
isabelle.ortigues@inrae.fr

Isabelle Loveau
Associate Editor-in-Chief, Animal Journal
isabelle.louveau@inrae.fr

JOB POSITION

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) is a public research establishment. It is a community of 12,000 people with more than 200 research units and 42 experimental units located throughout France. The institute is among the world leaders in agricultural and food sciences, in plant and animal sciences, and is 11th in the world in ecology and environment. INRAE’s main goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. In the face of the increase in population, climate change, scarcity of resources and decline in biodiversity, the institute develops solutions for multiperformance agriculture, high quality food and sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND ACTIVITIES
You will be welcomed in the Pegase Joint Research Unit based in Saint-Gilles (close to Rennes city, France). Pegase joint research unit (INRAE and Institut Agro - Rennes-Angers) aims to better understand and predict how animals and farming systems can adapt to a changing context with the aim of improving the sustainability and competitiveness of livestock farming. Within the Sysmo research team, our mission is to produce knowledge, methods, references and tools to optimize/improve the environmental balance and the multiple intrinsic and extrinsic qualities of products from monogastric farming systems, by mobilizing several livestock farming levers, including innovative feeding strategies. The Sysmo team's research covers several areas dealing with complementary dimensions (resources, animals, products, systems):

i) Metrics, methods and tools for the characterization of resources, animals, products and systems.

ii) Effects of farming factors or practices on the different dimensions of production sustainability and their interrelationships, within different farming systems.

iii) Design and evaluation of strategies to improve the sustainability of production.

Your mission will be in line with the ambitions of the Sysmo team and the objectives of the European research and innovation project STEP UP (2024-2027), supported by the Horizon Europe program. One of the main aims of STEP UP is to produce quantitative information/data on livestock farming, as an integral part of the food system and the wider ecosystem. Through a variety of research methodologies and strong stakeholder engagement, STEP UP aims to provide European policymakers with a platform of robust scientific data on the impacts and externalities of more sustainable European Livestock Production Systems (ELPS).

The main task of the project on which you will be working is to contribute to the implementation of a nutritional life cycle assessment (nLCA) of farmed animal products (meat). Nutritional LCA involves the consideration and use of nutritional functional units such as nutrient composition, density or quality, in environmental life cycle assessment (LCA-E) (McLaren et al., 2021). Based on individual data from a pig trial that aimed at improving several dimensions of pork meat quality (Lebret et al., 2023) and environmental life
cycle assessment (E-LCA) results (Gagaoua et al., 2023), you will contribute to the implementation of nLCA and the joint integration of intrinsic (product-related) and extrinsic (production-related) qualities of pork using multi-criteria approaches, within the “One Quality” concept. The project also aims to collect data from published E-LCA studies on pork production available in the literature to complete an in-house database.

More specifically, you will be in charge of:
- Contribute through a first literature review to identify and refine the impact categories and main indicators (metrics) allowing to implement a nutritional life cycle analysis (nLCA) of animal products (mainly meat) based on existing approaches/guidelines (McLaren et al., 2021).
- Propose/develop a nutritional LCA for pork products, using experimental and individual data including E-LCA results already available.
- Complete and enrich a database of E-LCA data/studies on pork production by means of a second literature review.
- Contribute to the study and critical analysis of the methodological obstacles and mathematical/statistical approaches required for the joint integration of the intrinsic (nutritional dimension) and extrinsic (environmental impacts) qualities of pork, using experimental and individual data.

This work will be under the supervision of M. Gagaoua and build on existing collaborations within Sysmo team, the STEP UP consortium and colleagues at SAS joint research unit (Rennes).

TRAINING AND SKILLS REQUIRED

• Recommended training: engineer or Master 2 in agronomy/animal production (or equivalent)
• Knowledge required: Life cycle assessment (LCA), Research methods and literature review, Sustainability of animal production.
• Appreciated experience: evaluation of environmental impacts and use of LCA tools and software (e.g., SimaPro, Open LCA, MeansInOut), Multicriteria evaluation, Statistics.
• Skills sought: Teamwork, Rigor, Able to work independently as well as to collaborate, Creativity, Good communication skills, including the ability to communicate and write well in English.

Other details

• Unit: UMR PEGASE 1348
• Postal code + city: 35590 Saint-Gilles, Rennes
• Type of contract: Temporary position
•  Duration of the contract: 10 months
• Starting date: 01/10/2024
• Remuneration: Minimum gross monthly salary of 2 245 € depending on experience

How to apply
Send a motivation letter, a CV and references to:
Mohammed Gagaoua
By e-mail: mohammed.gagaoua@inrae.fr
Deadline for applications: 30/07/2024

This study was completed by Sarah Meeke, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise.

Take home message: It is vital that colostrum is collected and sampled for quality quickly after calving and fed immediately to newborn calves, reducing the rate of bacterial colonisation and Immunoglobulin decline. However, correct storage in either a fridge for a short period of time or freezer can be used in a colostrum feeding protocol to ensure calves are receiving the passive immunity they require to be healthy.

The importance of colostrum to a newborn calf cannot be underestimated, with calves suffering from colostrum deprivation significantly contributing to mortality rates and impacting farm profitability. The quality of colostrum is vital and is largely determined by immunoglobulins Ig (IgG), fat and protein concentrations. On farm measurements of colostrum quality are commonly done using a refractometer or colostrometer which are cost effective methods and measures quality by the level of IgG in a sample. High quality colostrum is defined as having a IgG concentration of >50mg/ml (22% brix value) and low quality <50mg/ml (18% brix value). There are several on farm factors that can affect the quality of colostrum and this study aimed to identity colostrum quality, composition and storage techniques in different breeds on Northern Irish farms. Hypothesising that Holstein cows would produce the highest yield but lowest IgG quality colostrum.

Colostrum samples were taken from three farms and each farm had a different breed of cattle; British Frisian, Holstein and Jersey. Colostrum was tested using a refractometer within 12 hours of collection and then split into one of four storage treatments, fridge, freezer, room temperature and pasteurization. A second reading was taken from the fridge and room temperature after 24 hours, day 3 and 7, and the frozen sample was tested following defrosting and pasteurization. A bacterial count using agar plates and colony counter was carried out on colostrum from all three breeds from each sample type. Fresh colostrum samples from each breed were also measured for protein, fat and lactose %. Farmers were also asked a set of herd management questions.

 A single factor ANOVA found a significant difference in the colostrum quality of fresh samples between breeds (P = 0.001), measuring at 23.2 IgG, 21.2 IgG and 18.1 IgG for British Friesian, Holstein and Jersey, respectively. Colostrum quality significantly (P = <0.01) declined between the fresh measurement and day 7 of sampling protocol (22% vs 18%). Pasteurisation did not have a significant impact on IgG levels (P= 0.1), similarly defrosting samples did not result in a significant difference (P =0.1) in quality in any of the breeds. However, the Holstein sample dropped from 23% at fresh to 20.7% after storage which is below the desired threshold of high quality for brix measurements. Bacterial count was greatest in room temperature samples compared to fridge, freezer and pasteurisation and the lowest bacterial count was found in the fresh sample. Although there was a numerical difference of up to 6 days between the dry period length of breeds, there was no statistical difference (P=0.1).

In conclusion, this study has demonstrated the effect room temperature has on IgG levels and the differences in colostrum quality between breeds of dairy cattle. The study has also been successful in demonstrating the decline in colostrum quality over time and on one occasion between freezing and defrosting of a sample. However, the study would have liked to have measured additional factors such as diet, dam age and health status.

Written by Nia Lloyd, Lecturer at Aberystwyth University.

A memory burns in my mind of a recent comedy gig I attended in London. While enjoying the show, I made an unfortunate mistake of making eye contact with the comedian. Before I had any time to develop an escape strategy, I found the spotlight firmly set on myself and the conversation began in a cordial fashion as I said my name and expressed how much I was enjoying the show. The follow up question seemed equally cordial:

Comedian:      So what do you do for a living?

Me:                  I’m a Dairy Farmer

Comedian:      You do realise you’re destroying the planet?

Before I had time to respond the Comedian had followed up with some other comments before moving the spotlight to another unfortunate individual. While this was a single interaction with one individual and can be taken in isolation, I do feel a general lack of appreciation exists for the difficult situation the farming community has found itself in. Most farmers I interact with are focused on finding and implementing solutions in an effort to continually adapt to the climate crisis. This is not as a result of requirements forced upon them but because they see themselves as custodians of the land and want to protect it for future generations.

Reflecting on the topic, some subtle changes have occurred in the last number of years that demonstrate how farmers are willing to adapt. I cannot remember the last time I saw a Slurry Tanker on the road with a splash plate, nor spreading in a field. From my view point most spreading is now completed with LESS (Low Emission Slurry Spreading) equipment. This involves a significant cost to farmers in the form of purchasing new equipment or retrofitting old tankers with a dribble bar.

Similarly I have noticed a big swing from traditional fertiliser to protected Urea. In the last number of years, a majority of farmers I interact with have moved to protected Urea. When asking them on the reasoning for this, the most common answer I received was each farmer felt they had a personal responsibility to play their part in managing the climate crisis.

Grassland Management is another area that farmers have stepped up on in an effort to adapt. Gone are the days when Slurry was seen as a waste product that needed to be spread. It is now seen as a valuable commodity. Several farmers I know measure the nitrogen content in slurry before spreading in order to accurately spread the required units of nitrogen. This naturally has the effect of reducing the chemical fertiliser spread on these farms and is a form of adaption that I have very much seen with my own eyes.

These are only three very small examples of how farmers have adapted their practises in response to the climate crisis but I feel it is the underlying attitude in adapting that deserves some praise. While some, like my comedian friend, view farmers in a very black and white manner as the source of the climate crisis, the truth is a lot more nuanced. I find it hard to imagine that my comedian friend has adapted his life in any way but is more than happy to throw blame at the one community who are genuinely trying to adapt and find solutions. Farmers view themselves as front line soldiers in this battle, ready and willing to adapt, we just need everyone else to come with us.

Walsh Scholarships Ref Number 2024047
Background
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a key cause of morbidity and mortality in dairy to beef calves. It is diagnosed in 33.4% of calves aged between 1 and 5 months submitted to regional veterinary laboratories.

In work conducted by Earley et al. (2019) BRD was the second most common reason for treatment of calves during the preweaning period. BRD is caused by numerous viruses and bacterial agents. BRD has a complex aetiology which is still an area of developing knowledge.

The respiratory tract of calves is not sterile, it is populated with various microorganisms. Some of the commensal microorganisms identified in the respiratory tract of calves are potential pathogens. A key part of our developing our understanding of BRD is understanding how these microorganism transition from commensals to pathogens. This is likely to be influenced by numerous factors such as stress and poor air quality. One key area that has not been investigated is the influence that the microorganism present in the air of calf housing have on the microbiome of a calf’s respiratory tract. Air is also hypothesized as a medium for transmission of BRD pathogens however its relative importance is not well established. No published work has attempted to sequence the air of calf housing, this is likely to provide key information around pathogen transmission and the specific characteristics of poor air quality that might be associated with increased risk of BRD.

Rapid identification of diseased calves and appropriate treatment is vital to achieving satisfactory resolution of BRD cases. One of the key barriers to effective treatment of BRD is antimicrobial resistance however the current susceptibility of BRD pathogens present in Ireland is unknown, developing a
knowledge of the current trends in antimicrobial resistance will allow Irish veterinarians to better plan testing and treatment protocols.

Overall, this project aims to improve our understanding of the dynamics of the air microbiome in calfhousing and how it affects the prevalence and severity of BRD.

i. Examination of the air microbiome in dairy calf to beef housing; longitudinal trends, investigationof housing microclimates and influence of other housing environmental factors
ii. Investigation of the influence of air microbiome on the microbiome of the respiratory tract andhealth of dairy to beef calves

iii. Examination of the virome present in dairy to beef calf housing air

iv. Survey of antimicrobial resistance genes present in bacteria identified in the respiratory tract ofdairy to beef calves

Requirements
Applications are invited from graduates holding or expecting a primary degree (First or Upper Second Class Honours) in a biological science (e.g., Agricultural Science, Animal Science, Biology, Genetics,Veterinary Science). The successful candidate will be expected to register with the School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin for a 4-year Ph.D. degree. The successful candidate should be highly self-motivated and be prepared for periods of field and laboratory work, and engage in training anddevelopment courses. A full driving licence is required. For applicants whose first language is not English, requirements are outlined here.
Award
Funding will be awarded to the student who will complete the scholarship. The current rate is astipend of €25,000 per annum, plus a contribution to fees up to a maximum of €6,000 per annum. Any fees in excess of this amount will be addressed by the HEI. The successful candidate will be mainlybased at the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre (AGRIC), Teagasc Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, and will be registered at UCD. The research will be collaborative, involving scientists at University College Dublin, Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Co. Meath, Dublin City University and University of Ghent. The scholarship will start on Monday 9th September 2024.
Further Information
Dr. John Donlon, Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath. Phone: +353 (0)46 906 1213, email: john.donlon@teagasc.ie Dr. Conor McAloon, University College Dublin, School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Science Centre
Belfield Dublin 4. Phone: +353 (0)1 716 6083, email: Conor.McAloon@ucd.ie
Application Procedure
A letter of interest together with a curriculum vitae and the names and contact details of two refereesshould be sent by email to john.donlon@teagasc.ie and Conor.McAloon@ucd.ieClosing date for receipt of applications: 22 July 2024

The BSAS Undergraduate Thesis of the Year Award 2024 competition is open to universities and colleges that have students participating in animal science related courses.

In April 2024, the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) held its 80th Annual Conference, in Belfast. The pivotal theme of this year’s event was the role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy. It inspired some deep discussions, which illustrate some of the directions that animal- based agriculture is heading.

Dr Lucy Ross, livestock specialist and sustainability consultant with Promar, was at the conference. Here, she debates of some of the key issues that emerged at that conference, in conversation with Dr Holly Vickery, from Harper Adams University.

Livestock and sustainability – is a balanced view possible?

Lucy Ross: Part of the issue is that it’s an easy subject to imagine and portray in the popular media: cows produce gas, so fewer cows = cleaner air, right? But it’s not that simple! While there’s no denying livestock’s impact on soil, water, and air, it’s important to get a complete picture.

As Professor Maggie Gill emphasized at BSAS24, we have a crucial need for responsibility, highlighting that every agricultural activity (in fact, any productive or manufacturing industry) leaves an impact, but issues are more nuanced than the simplistic media headlines suggest.

Holly Vickery: Farming, and the research that underpins it, acknowledges this responsibility and is actively addressing challenges.

For instance, excessive nutrient runoff remains a water-quality concern, and improved resource use and recycling are crucial. However, agricultural techniques are evolving rapidly, and solutions are being developed. Promising advancements, such as precision manure application and nitrogen-fixing crops, offer exciting possibilities for a more sustainable future.

Lucy Ross: I think we all need to better communicate the circular benefits of livestock, while pointing out that we can’t just provide singular solutions. Of course, popular media prefers polarising stories though, so the simple rather negative framing will likely continue.

Can livestock farming actually improve biodiversity?

Holly Vickery: Judging by discussions at BSAS24, many farms and researchers are exploring ways to integrate farming systems and pasture management, to create win-wins for livestock and the environment.

There’s awareness that livestock can be utilised to provide ecosystem benefits, particularly in mixed- farming models and there is enthusiasm for multi-disciplinary solutions, which consider the whole ecosystem.

Lucy Ross: One real-world challenge lies in creating a system that encourages different types of farms to link together on a regional basis. While nutrient cycling presents complexities, collaboration offers significant environmental benefits.

Holly Vickery: Some researchers, such as Dr Mary McEvoy are exploring the promise of diverse pastures for biodiversity, reduced emissions, and continued food production. However, those at BSAS 24 raised questions about how to apply this in their real-world situation, including:

• How do we select multi-sward varieties that are reliable for our specific conditions? (In other words, what suits my neighbour may not suit me, and why should I invest if there is no hard evidence of a solution’s applicability to my business?)
• How much difference does soil type and regional variation contribute to results?
• Most UK grassland is in the form of permanent pasture: how do we incorporate clover and multispecies into permanent pasture without ploughing?

Lucy Ross: Without doubt, further research will offer exciting possibilities, although challenges remain regarding soil type, fertility, longevity and management. Again, bridging the gap between research and real-world application will be crucial.

Academics, including Professor Bridget Emmett, UKCEH’s Science Area Head for Soils and Land Use, acknowledge the importance of balancing production with ecosystem services for true sustainability. In fact, UKCEH is building this type of solution into its products. Their tools and datasets help farmers visualize the environmental impact of their choices.

Can addressing soil health benefit producers as well as the environment?

Holly Vickery: Healthy soil is essential for a sustainable future. At BSAS 24, Dr Jack Hannam, President of the British Society of Soil Science, highlighted that up to 40% of UK agricultural land is degraded. However, practices like regenerative agriculture and innovative tools to aid grazing management are already reversing this trend.

Managed correctly, livestock can be hugely beneficial for soil health. For example, strategically managed grazing can improve nutrient cycling, soil biology, and carbon sequestration.

One way to help acknowledge these benefits and increase their use, would be to re-frame the idea of “profit”, so that it’s not just measured by yield, but includes rewards for enhancing environmental health, and other benchmarks such as social responsibility.

Lucy Ross: These are radical ideas, which may not attract a positive reaction in all quarters but do have a place if the preservation of productive environments is to be achieved. The path to success must include strengthening natural capital, soil health, and overall farm resilience.

Technology will play a key role in this. Automating data collection from farm equipment will help farmers make informed decisions and more targeted management, further reducing environmental impact. However, the way to harness this potential equitably remains unclear.

In short, a combined approach – adopting innovative technology and responsible practices – is key to unlocking the positive environmental potential of livestock farming. The challenge lies in finding a way to do this while still enabling farmers to farm. At Promar, this is what we are creating – a truly sustainable approach, which does not destroy farm business while enriching the environment that supports it.

Is carbon sequestration and carbon trading economically viable?

Holly Vickery: At BSAS24, soil carbon sequestration emerged as a key topic in carbon trading discussions. Experts emphasized the need for standardized methods and urgent action, despite uncertainties around soil behaviour and storage capacity.

Lucy Ross: Farmers raised a lot of interesting questions, such as querying soil’s carbon-storage limit and wondering about the potential of using biochar.

While biochar shows promise, a deeper understanding of soil profiles is needed for optimal placement. Further research will uncover the depth of its true potential.

What’s the future for the UK livestock industry?

Lucy Ross: The livestock industry’s contribution goes well beyond food production, that’s for sure, and presenters at BSAS24 were keen to point this out. [Livestock output was worth around £20 billion in 2022.] The industry also provides valuable co-products and ecosystem services that contribute significantly to our economy in other ways. These need to be appreciated too.

Holly Vickery: For me, BSAS24 underscored the need for science-based policies that consider the full picture of animal agriculture, including its environmental contributions. It also showcased the critical role livestock can play in achieving a sustainable circular food economy, through co-products utilized in various industries, and highlighting their role beyond food production.

However, in the face of constant trade pressures and changing consumer demands, the industry must be adaptable. Innovation is key to remaining competitive and to balancing economic viability with environmental responsibility.

How can change be achieved that benefits UK livestock farmers?

Lucy Ross: Farmers have a lot to say, and justifiably so, on the need for fairness in the supply chain. For example, James Taylor, a dairy and beef farmer in Portrush, articulated a widely held feeling among farmers. He highlighted the importance of clear and consistent communication with farmers from retailers, processors, researchers, and legislators, as consumer preferences and markets evolve.

Many farmers are in vulnerable positions in so many ways, bearing the brunt of environmental and economic pressures, while potentially being penalised by buyers for pursuing demonstrably eco-friendly practices such as selling sustainable food to local consumers.

Holly Vickery: To ensure sustainable change it is essential that we work collaboratively with farmers, research, industry, and policymakers to develop solutions that benefit all stakeholders, the economy, and the environment. Recognizing livestock’s multifaceted role in rural livelihoods and cultural heritage is another important element of appreciating their full societal value.

There’s a need to bridge the gap between research and farm

Lucy Ross: The agricultural research landscape is evolving rapidly due to new technologies, shifting consumer trends, and changing funding priorities. To keep pace, research needs to connect more effectively with real-world farming.

Holly Vickery: In academia, we’re always looking for ways to collaborate with farmers, to ensure the commercial applicability of our research and that strategies we investigate are feasible for use in the real-world. 

Key to this is effective two-way communication, and a willingness for both parties to engage in on- farm research and collaboration that does not hamper farms’ needs to continue their commercial operations.

Lucy Ross: Farmers are receptive to practical improvements but require support to bridge the gap between research and implementation. Effective training, delivered efficiently, is also essential. At BSAS 24, farmers supported approaches such as discussion groups, development farms, and peer-to- peer learning led by trusted advisors.

In return, academic research needs to find models that enable research to be undertaken that does not compromise farmers’ needs to operate commercial ventures. Potential approaches here involve more long-term projects, greater use of passive data collection, and a greater willingness of all parties to share experience and knowledge in a collaborative environment.

Holly Vickery: By embracing technology, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing knowledge exchange, researchers can stay relevant and contribute to sustainable agriculture. This requires cooperation and a commitment to learning from each other. This is achievable, but requires good communication, good faith, and flexibility.

We also need to establish standardised ways of collecting and using data, and to solve the issue of ownership and compensation. It’s something that the whole supply chain needs to work out together.

What were the key take-aways from BSAS24?

Lucy Ross: Overall, it’s ensuring stakeholders come together to share knowledge, ideas and best practice, it helps participants at all points in the supply chain, and academics too, plot a path toward resilient and sustainable livestock farming, as well as targeted research. Opportunities to discuss the big issues in a neutral setting are vital.

Holly Vickery: Academic and research institutions are looking for ways to work effectively with farms, as they see that it will provide them with better results, and that farmers want robust evidence that new ideas are applicable and profitable to their needs. There is goodwill on both sides, but gaps still need to be bridged to enable efficient implementations.

Lucy Ross and Holly Vickery on the main messages of BSAS24: 

• Diversity is strength – A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Farms can only thrive with tailored solutions, and learning from each other’s successes is crucial.
• Tech for transformation – From precision farming to soil analysis, technology empowers farmers to optimize resources and minimize their environmental impact. However, the future of data in farming remains an issue that, although promising, is still unattractive for many farmers due of lack of clarity about ownership, collection, compensation, or who exactly profits from it.
• Holistic harmony – Viable solutions prioritize biodiversity, conservation, and soil health alongside production. Embracing regenerative practices unlocks greater farm resilience. Integrating these approaches into policy is essential.
• Collaboration is key – Tackling complex challenges requires joint efforts. Regional partnerships and knowledge sharing between diverse farms bolster both environmental and economic sustainability.
• Research and trust – Collaborative research drives innovation, while consumer education builds trust. Highlighting livestock’s positive contributions to food security, livelihoods, and ecosystems is vital.

Promar – linking research and practice at all points in the supply chain

At Promar, we’re committed to helping all players in the agricultural industry. This includes finding ways to enhance environments and ecosystems while enabling farm businesses to thrive. We facilitate and enhance dialogues between different strands of the supply chain, bridge gaps between academia and industry, and help farms to successfully navigate the multiple challenges that they face.

Our unique perspective helps companies to obtain a complete picture quickly. If you have a project in mind, speak to us.

SAVE THE DATE: The Animal AgTech Innovation Summit will welcome 350+ leaders to Amsterdam over two days of in-depth discussions and plenty of networking focused on building safe and sustainable meat and dairy production.

This study was shortlisted for the 2023 Thesis of the Year Award and completed as part of Caitlin Duggan's BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Bioscience, which she studied at Aberystwyth University.

Take home message: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) cases are predicted to decrease in cattle across England and Wales with an R0 of less than 1 shown in this study. Farmers in high bTB risk areas should consider the number of cattle they house in their holdings.  A higher cattle density was linked to more bTB cases therefore providing a potential solution to reduce bTB in herds. In summary, while bTB cases are expected to decrease, complete eradication by 2038 remains challenging due to the observed trends and control strategies. Further research on new control strategies being introduced in 2025 to predict their impact will be crucial.

Will bovine tuberculosis (bTB), be eradicated by 2038 as the government plan? Current control measures include the topical culling of badgers adopted by England whereas Wales uses badger trapping and testing to only cull those that turn out positive for bTB. Previous studies have used modelling for bTB to predict the number of cattle infected with bTB at certain time points. This study specifically focuses on both England and Wales, which is unique compared to previous research.

The study aimed to find the R0 which represents how many new cases one infected individual can cause in a group of susceptible cattle. If R0 is greater than 1, the disease spreads easily. Also, the study aimed to define how long it takes for cattle exposed to become infected with bTB as currently estimates vary from months to years. The research used mathematical models based on data collected by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) between 2016 and 2021. The model took into account the number of cattle and the average birth rate, death rate, sensitivity to skin testing, rate of transmission, and rate of progression from exposed to infected.

The results showed cattle exposed to bTB were predicted to become infected after approximately 508 days falling between the previously established range. Managing this long incubation period poses a challenge for disease control efforts. The study predicted an R0 of 0.95, similar to previous reports, and indicates that cases of bTB are decreasing in England and Wales. This suggests that control strategies have been effective in reducing bTB. However, this value might underestimate the transmission risk due to wildlife (e.g., badgers) not being included in the model. Interestingly, the study found a link between the number of cattle within an area and the R0. Regions in the West of England with higher cattle numbers had a higher R0 compared to the East of England. Reducing cattle density in high-risk areas could help control bTB prevalence. Current control strategies are showing a positive effect in reducing cases of bTB in England and Wales. The findings suggest both countries will not be bTB-free by 2038 without further control strategies being implemented to reduce the R0.

Dr Issy Lewis, Animal Health Lecturer, Hartpury University.

Job description

The School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast is currently seeking to appoint an exceptional candidate to the post of Research Fellow. The appointee will join the Huws group, focused on sustainable livestock production using the disciplines of Microbiology, Animal Science, and Bioinformatics.

About the person:

The successful candidate will primarily work within a multidisciplinary team undertaking research focused on sustainable ruminant production, with an emphasis on methane mitigation. The post holder will work with industry partners locally and globally to deliver impact for the agricultural and food sector. The successful candidate will work alongside the lead, a bioinformatician and a project manager within the new Centre of Excellence in Agri-Food Microbiomics. The candidate will be expected to perform the research required (for example in vitro testing) and the reports thereafter in a timely and professional manner. In general, the postholder will be an active member of the research project/team assisting in the planning and delivery of research activity.  Priority will be given to candidates with research interests and expertise in anaerobic microbiology, particularly with respect to livestock microbiomes.

To be successful at shortlisting stage, please ensure you clearly evidence in your application how you meet the essential and, where applicable, desirable criteria listed in the Candidate Information.

Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.

What we offer:

Beyond a competitive salary, the University offers an attractive benefits package including a holiday entitlement of up to 8.4 weeks a year, pension schemes and development opportunities. We support staff wellbeing with flexible working options, work-life balance initiatives and support for physical and mental health. You can find more detail on all of this and more at http://go.qub.ac.uk/reward. 

Queen's University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to all. We subscribe to Equality Charter Marks such as the Diversity Charter Mark NI and Athena Swan and have established staff networks such as iRise, (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network) and PRISM (LGBTQ+) which help us progress equality.

For further information on our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, please visit www.qub.ac.uk/diversity. 

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in Livestock Science? Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

We are seeking an enthusiastic, capable and adaptable scientist with excellent communication skills, who is keen to establish themselves in livestock science research. Whilst it is not essential that you should have prior experience of working with pigs, you should have a strong interest in developing pig research. You will work closely with academics and industry to co-develop proposals, conduct commercial and non-commercial research at the National Pig Centre.

You should have a PhD (or be close to completion) in animal science or a related area, complemented by excellent analytical and laboratory skills and a proven track record in communicating your research outcomes. You will be based primarily at the University of Leeds farm at the National Pig Centre and will also be a part of the School of Biology.  

What we offer in return:

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year! · Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 14.5% of salary · Generous pension scheme options plus life assurance
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.
• And much more!

The University of Leeds and the Faculty of Biological Sciences are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offer a range of family friendly policies. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN (the national body that promotes gender equality in higher education), and the Faculty of Biological Sciences was awarded a Silver award in 2020.  We are proud to be an inclusive Faculty that values all staff, and are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees. Our Athena SWAN webpage provides more information.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Dr Katie McDermott, Lecturer in Sustainable Livestock Production  Email: k.mcdermott@leeds.ac.uk

Ryan Clarkson, Platform Manager, National Pig Centre Email: fbsrcla@leeds.ac.uk

Accommodation is not included in the registration fee. We are aiming to negotiate special rates for conference delegates at local hotels. Please book your accommodation directly with the hotel of your choice. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

BSAS 2025 Annual Conference

Registration opens in June 2024

Embark on a transformative journey with an event that transcends conventional narratives to illuminate the multifaceted roles of livestock in shaping a sustainable future. Explore how responsible livestock management practices foster biodiversity conservation, harmonising ecosystems and safeguarding endangered species. Discover the transformative power of a circular bioeconomy, spotlighting livestock's pivotal role in creating value, minimising waste, and promoting sustainability. Delve into diverse economies, from biomethane production to sustainable phosphorus extraction, pharmaceutical development, and the utilisation of livestock-derived ingredients in clothing and cosmetics industries. Join us as we foster dialogue, innovation, and collaboration towards a more sustainable future powered by the untapped potential of livestock.

Attendees

This event caters to a broad audience interested in sustainability, agriculture, and innovation. Farmers and agricultural practitioners seeking sustainable livestock management techniques will find practical solutions. Researchers exploring biodiversity conservation, circular bioeconomy, and resource recovery will discover cutting-edge advancements. Professionals in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, clothing and renewable energy will learn about livestock-derived applications. Policymakers and environmental advocates can gain insights into shaping sustainable agricultural policies. Ultimately, this event welcomes all who wish to explore the transformative potential of livestock beyond food systems and contribute to a sustainable future.

Call For Posters

Contributions are invited from early-stage researchers and PhD students working on the fields of sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and environmental health and resilience, circular economy, renewable energy, resource management, pharmaceuticals, clothing and cosmetics. Abstracts should demonstrate how livestock, and its waste or co-products, are a key component within their project and the relevant industries.

The objective for the competition is to identify posters which best explain the outcomes of the research, and also in the context of the potential application of the results by the industry and consumers. There will be voucher prizes of £100 for 1st place and £50 for 2nd place. An abstract of maximum 250 words (250 words does not include author names, affiliations, references or figure captions) indicating title, authors, institution included with the Poster, should be sent to conferences@soci.org by Monday 18 November 2024 with the subject line “Livestock beyond food - poster submission” You can download an abstract template here.

For further information and prices, please email conferences@soci.org.

Programme

10:00   Registration and refreshments

10.30    FAO's Livestock Agenda for ecosystem services and circular bioeconomy 

Prof Michael Lee, Harper Adams University, FAO’s Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) technical advisory group

Session 1: Livestock as partners in ecosystem health and resilience

10:45    Promoting healthy and resilient livestock systems: A holistic perspective 

Dr Lisa Norton, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology 

11:00   The multidimensional role of livestock in supporting ecosystem services and biodiversity 

Prof Davy McCracken, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) 

11:15   A policy-based view on the role of livestock on nature-friendly food production 

Speaker to be confirmed

11:30   Panel discussion

11:50   Refreshment break 

Session 2: Unlocking the hidden potential: Transforming livestock slurry into valuable resource

12:15   The place of biogas from slurry in the future role of bioenergy in the UK 

Lucy Hopwood, National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC)

12:30   Biomethane solutions for nutrient management 

Dr Chris Johnston, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)

12:45   Microanaerobic solutions for small livestock farmers 

Dr Ilan Adler, University College London & EcoNomad Solutions

13:00   Panel discussion

13:20   Lunch, posters and exhibition

Session 3: From waste to wealth: Exploring bio-based products from livestock  

14:15   The role of animal by-products in bio-based industries and circular economy 

Dr Stephen Woodgate, Beacon Consulting

14:30   Unlocking the vital role of animals in biopolymer pharmaceuticals 

Prof Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, University of Reading

14:45   Wool revolution: Enhancing British flocks for premium fibre and profitability 

Andrew Hogley, British Wool

15:00   Panel discussion

15:20   Networking reception

16:30   Close of conference 

Speaking at a conference in the near future? Book your place on the ECC presentation webinar which will take place on 19th August at 2PM.

Get specialist training from our Early Career Team in a small group setting.

To reserve your please email communications@bsas.org.uk confirming your name, university/ place of work, year of study and any other information you would like to let the training team know - for example what conference you are presenting at or which theme you are speaking on. It is expected that participants will have a good understanding of the English language.

Participants must prepare a presentation (up to 8 minutes long) in order to get tailored feedback and top tips.

animal – science proceedings is one of the three scientific journals jointly owned by a Consortium comprised of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP) and the Institut National de Recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (INRAE).

The Consortium is seeking candidates for the position of Editor-in-Chief for animal – science proceedings.

animal – science proceedings publishes high-quality proceedings from conferences, symposia and workshops on aspects of life sciences with emphasis on farmed and other managed animals, leisure and companion animals, and insects. More information about animal – science proceedings can be found on the websites of the Consortium and the publisher.

The Editor-in-chief is responsible for the development of the journal within the framework of the budget defined by the Management Board, to:

• propose the scientific guidelines of the journal to the Management Board
• ensure the scientific quality of the journal
• ensure good relations with conference organisers and with the guest editors for the issue
• ensure harmonious relations with the publisher or printer, or the service provider in charge of digital dissemination of the journal

There are normally between five and nine issues per year that require a time commitment of three working days an issue on average. In addition, about 10 days are required for attendance animal consortium meetings, most of which are virtual. Candidates are expected to have experience in writing scientific articles, to possess good communication skills, and to take initiative while being a team player. The Editor-in-Chief will receive a fixed honorarium for his/her activities.

The Opportunity:

Working within the School of Veterinary Medicine and under the direction of the Veterinary Centre Manager in conjunction with colleagues responsible for the integration of educational activities, in this role you will:

• Provide an effective, reliable, and efficient farm animal diagnostic and consultancy service to veterinary surgeons in practice and farmers in the area.  Key components of this work include the detailed investigation of farm animal disease outbreaks through post-mortem examination, laboratory diagnostic tests and farm disease investigations.
• Maintain a close working relationship with local veterinarians and farmers to facilitate data collection to inform the trends, distribution, and nature of livestock diseases in the area covered by the Aberdeen Hub.  Through this work contributing to the local and national disease surveillance functions of SRUC.
• Investigate in detail unusual outbreaks of farm animal disease in collaboration with veterinary colleagues within SRUC and other specialist institutions.
• Contribute to the education of undergraduates within the School of Veterinary Medicine so ensuring they have developed the skills and understanding related to the importance of disease surveillance and herd health management when they move into their graduate roles.
• Undertake research and develop initiatives with colleagues in SRUC SVM, the wider SRUC family and external institutions.
• Contribute as required to SRUC farmer education and awareness campaigns to promote animal welfare.
• Assist with the Animal Health & Welfare Management Programme by providing support to local vets and farmers.
• Participate in disease eradication and control programme being directed by APHA Service by providing appropriate supporting laboratory services as and when required by the Scottish Government.
• Contribute to the advisory, development and research effort of other departments within SRUC.  The VIO should liaise with colleagues within the SRUC advisory service (particularly the specialist dairy, beef and sheep agricultural advisors, nutritionists and building advisors) to support a farm animal health advisory service in the local area.
• Carry out any other duties delegated by the SVM Senior Management Team and veterinary managers of the hubs.
• Work for periods at other SRUC Veterinary Services sites as necessary and as directed by the manager of SRUC.

The post-holder will perform additional duties as directed from time to time by the Line Manager. The post holder must use their initiative in the conduct of their work and always apply sound judgement to ensure that they conduct themselves within the framework of SRUC regulations and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in progressive farm animal practice and will preferably have undertaken post graduate study to certificate, masters or diploma level in a given species (cattle, sheep or pigs) or in a related subject eg. pathology. Candidates must have an interest in developing veterinary education to ensure sustainability of veterinary support to the rural environment and be a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. They will be required to undertake the ‘in-house’ educators programme and encouraged to work towards further qualifications whether species or veterinary education based. Teamwork is essential as is a current UK driving license.

Further details on the requirements of this role can be found in the Job Particulars document which you must read before applying for this role.

Primary supervisor: Dr James McCaughern, Harper Adams University

Second supervisors: Dr Joe Roberts, Dr Sandy Mackenzie and Professor Liam Sinclair

Project Title: Leveraging metabolomics to reduce copper toxicity in dairy cattle

Successful candidates will receive a yearly stipend (paid monthly) set at the UKRI rate - for 2024/5 this will be £19,237. Harper Adams University is unfortunately unable to offer a fee waiver for international students applying and evidence of funding will be required for International Fee paying students to show they can cover the difference between the UK and international fees for the full four years - for the 2024/5 academic year this amount is £10,890.  However, scholarships maybe be available at the time of appointment to cover the difference between UK and International fees for the duration of the programme.  

During this studentship, the successful applicant is expected to develop sought-after technical skills in the fields of animal nutrition, health and welfare. Applicants must hold a minimum of a 2:1 or equivalent bachelor's degree in an appropriate subject /high grade point average bachelor's degree for international applicants or a 2.2 alongside a suitable Master's Degree. Potential for research based on alternative qualifications/experience as judged acceptable by the university, will be considered on a case by case basis.

Project description:

Background:

Metabolomics is a technique that utilises advanced analytical chemistry to provide researchers with a more complete picture of the animal’s phenotype at the metabolic level (Taylor et al., 2022). The ability to detect and quantify a large number of metabolites within a single sample is helping develop a greater understanding of systems-wide biology across a range of scientific disciplines, and to identify new diagnostic tests (Monteiro et al., 2013). Despite increasing popularity within other fields, the ability to generate significant steps forward within animal science remains relatively untapped.  

One such area where metabolomics can serve to improve animal health, welfare and performance is the dietary supplementation of copper (Cu) to dairy cattle (Atkins et al., 2021; Sinclair et al., 2013; 2017). There are many biological consequences of an inadequate dietary Cu supply, such as anaemia and impaired growth (Suttle et al., 2022). In contrast, there is now substantial evidence of a significant over-supply of Cu to winter-fed dairy cattle within the UK, with a mean dietary Cu concentration of 28 mg/kg of DM reported by Sinclair and Atkins (2015), well in excess of the recommended 9-11 mg/kg DM (NASEM, 2021; NRC, 2001). Reasons for this elevated Cu-status on farm are unclear, but may result from a perception within the feed industry that “more is better” (McCaughern et al., 2020). However, recent evidence from long-term studies at Harper Adams University has clearly demonstrated significant sub-clinical consequences as a result of over-feeding Cu (McCaughern, 2020). For example, McCaughern et al. (2024) identified both a decline in fertility, coupled with negative effects on liver function and the immune system when replacement Holstein-Friesian dairy heifers were fed dietary Cu concentrations above requirements. Milk yield and fertility in early lactation were also compromised (McCaughern, 2020). These findings provide very strong evidence for a revision of Cu feeding limits, both nationally and internationally. Metabolomics can add further weight to these arguments by identifying the key biological pathways responsible for these phenotypic changes, as well as identifying new indicators of Cu status.  

Aims and objectives:

To utilise samples that have been biobanked from previous research studies on the bioavailability of Cu and the long-term effect of over-feeding Cu to growing and lactating dairy cattle to:

1. Profile the biological changes which occur in dairy cattle as a result of an altered Cu status;
2. Identify novel indicators of Cu status and toxicity in growing and lactating dairy cattle 
3. Produce 3 to 4 internationally excellent papers in peer reviewed journals

Methodology: 

Six dairy cattle studies have been undertaken at Harper Adams University in the last 10 years to determine factors influencing Cu availability and the effect of long-term over-feeding of Cu on growing and lactating dairy cattle (Atkins et al., 2020; McCaughern et al., 2020, 2024; Sinclair et al., 2017, Williams et al., 2024). During these studies intake, fertility and milk yield were recorded, and the Cu status and immune function monitored through regular blood and liver biopsy sampling. These samples have been biobanked pending further analyses. In this project blood plasma samples will undergo non-targeted metabolomic analysis according to Icely et al. (2024- pre-submission), to determine the changes in the animal’s metabolism. Blood plasma collected concurrently with liver samples will also be used to scope novel indicators of Cu status, and help facilitate the development of new veterinary tests for Cu status and toxicity in cattle.        

Candidates are encouraged to contact Dr James McCaughern to discuss the project before applying if they wish to.

Contact:Dr James McCaughern, Harper Adams University

Clinical Training Scholar (SCTS) in Small Animal Cardiology

The 2024 Annual Meeting will take place at the Calgary TELUS convention Centre. Calgary is located in Western Canada in the province of Alberta nestled in the foothills of the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains.

See website for further informations https://www.asas.org/meetings/annual-2024/abstract-and-program-information

On behalf of the French Organising Committee, we are very delighted to invite you to attend the Mountain Livestock Farming Systems Meeting co-organised by the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP), VetAgro Sup and INRAE to be held in Clermont Ferrand, the capital of the Auvergne, from June 5th to 7th, 2024.

The general topic of this Congress will be Adaptation of mountain livestock farming to climate change. Different sessions will be jointly organised to cover various areas of knowledge related to Interaction between farming systems and wildlife, Product quality and mountain farming, and several other topics.

The animal family of journals (i.e. animal, animal – open space, and animal – science proceedings) is jointly owned by a Consortium composed of the EAAP, BSAS, and INRAE and published by Elsevier on behalf of the Consortium.

To widen and strengthen the scientific basis of the family of journals, the Consortium is delighted and honoured to announce that IRTA has become an associated party of the Consortium. Together, the four organizations will determine the scientific policy of the journals in a rapidly changing landscape of scientific publishing.

IRTA, the Institute of Agrifood and Technology Research under the Regional Government of Catalonia, is dedicated to promoting research and technological development in agri-food, including animal science. IRTA scientists frequently contribute by publishing in “animal” and actively participating in the editorial team.

The IRTA team has decided to support the scientific direction of the journals and showcase their partnership in animal science publishing. Maria Font i Furnols, an animal science researcher at IRTA and the current deputy editor-in-chief of “animal,” played a crucial role in facilitating these activities within the new partnership.

The “Animal Consortium” is delighted to announce IRTA as the first organization to engage in this innovative relationship with the “Animal Consortium”. The Consortium plans to establish similar partnerships with other research organizations in the field of animal science.

The British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) and the British Cattle Breeders Club (BCBC) proudly announce Dr. Tianhai Yan as the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Sir John Hammond Award. This esteemed award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to animal science through research, teaching, knowledge exchange, breeding, farming, industry, or affiliated professions.

Dr. Tianhai Yan, Programme Leader and Head of Ruminant Nutrition Unit at the Agri-Food and Bioscience Institute (AFBI), has been selected as this year's recipient for his outstanding achievements and significant impact on the field of animal science. With a career spanning multiple decades, Dr. Yan has demonstrated exemplary dedication and innovation in his work, earning the respect and admiration of his peers worldwide.

Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Yan has published over 152 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, authored 9 scientific book chapters, and presented 204 abstracts in national and international scientific conferences. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of ruminant nutrition, metabolism, and emissions modelling, influencing policy and industry practices both locally and globally.

Notably, Dr. Yan's groundbreaking research on cattle methane and nitrogen emissions has played a pivotal role in shaping government environmental policy. His work has not only contributed to environmental sustainability but has also directly benefited the dairy and beef production industries in the United Kingdom. Dr. Yan's updated energy rationing models in the 'Feed into Milk' and 'Feed into Beef' programs have revolutionised industry practices, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

In addition to his research contributions, Dr. Yan has demonstrated a profound commitment to education and mentorship. He has supervised and co-supervised 14 PhD students and continues to mentor 8 PhD students from various institutions. Dr. Yan's dedication to nurturing the next generation of scientists has had a lasting impact on the field of animal science, inspiring future generations to pursue excellence in research and innovation.

BCBC Chair Andy King added 'It is an honour to have been part of the judging panel and to announce Tianhai Yan as the recipient of the Sir John Hammond Award for 2024 in recognition of the depth of research that he has undertaken over a considerable period of time. Not only has this been of very practical relevance in cattle production it is now an essential contribution towards policy development  in tackling the challenge around Climate change'

The panel's decision to award Dr. Tianhai Yan with the 2024 Sir John Hammond Award was unanimous, recognising his exemplary achievements, leadership, and unwavering dedication to advancing the field of animal science. His contributions have left an indelible mark on the industry and will continue to shape the future of animal science for years to come.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Tianhai Yan on this well-deserved honour.

The British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) proudly announces the appointment of Professor David Kenny as its new President, marking a significant milestone as only the second president based in the Republic of Ireland. Prof. Kenny follows in the footsteps of Dr. Jim O’Grady, who served from 1990 to 1991, in representing Ireland's vibrant contributions to the field of animal science.

Prof. Kenny's presidency comes at an exciting time, coinciding with the announcement that the BSAS Annual Conference in 2025 will be hosted in Galway, Ireland, from 8th to 10th April. The theme, "Animal Science supporting livestock's role in a global society," underscores the critical role of animal science in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the livestock industry worldwide.

Prof. Kenny's appointment reinforces the society's commitment to driving collaboration among scientists, industry professionals, and policymakers to address pressing challenges and opportunities in livestock farming [and animal welfare] and nurturing the next generation of animal scientists. His dedication to excellence and passion for advancing the field make him an ideal choice to lead the society forward.

"We are delighted to welcome Prof. David Kenny as our new President," said Maggie Mitchell, CEO of the British Society of Animal Science. "His extensive expertise and leadership qualities will be invaluable as we continue to drive advancements in animal science for the benefit of society and the environment."

Expressing his gratitude and enthusiasm, Prof. Kenny stated, "I am honoured and privileged to lead the British Society of Animal Science as president for the next 12 months. The society continues to play a pivotal role as a platform for the widespread dissemination of state-of-the-art research findings, professional development, education, and as a representative body for the animal science sector."

As Head of the Teagasc Animal and Bioscience Research Department in Ireland, Prof. Kenny brings over 25 years of research experience to his new role. His expertise spans a wide range of topics, including the biological control of economically important traits in ruminant livestock production systems, ruminal methanogenesis, and the development and functionality of the rumen microbiome.

Prof. Kenny's commitment to research and education is exemplified by his supervision of 19 Ph.D. and numerous M.Sc. students. his extensive publication record, which includes over 200 internationally peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and book chapters. He is a recognised leader in the field, serving as the incoming president of BSAS, president of the Physiology Study Commission of the European Association of Animal Production, and a member of the management board of the international scientific journal, animal.

Among his many accolades, Prof. Kenny was awarded the prestigious Hammond Award by BSAS in 2018 for his outstanding contributions to understanding how nutrition affects economically important traits in cattle. Beyond his academic pursuits, Prof. Kenny is deeply involved in the agricultural community, running a beef and sheep farm in County Mayo, Ireland, and actively engaging with the beef cattle sector and wider agricultural industry.

"I intend to work closely with the presidential team and the Trustees to further grow the society's membership, events, publications, and training opportunities," Prof. Kenny affirmed. "Together, we will continue the diligent work of our predecessors in ensuring the viability and continued development of BSAS into the future."

Prof. David Kenny's presidency heralds a new chapter for the British Society of Animal Science, marked by innovation, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to advancing the frontiers of animal science for the betterment of society and the environment.
 

About the British Society of Animal Science:

The British Society of Animal Science is a leading professional organisation dedicated to advancement of animal science. Through its activities, the society promotes collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation among researchers, educators, industry professionals, and policymakers to address global challenges in animal agriculture and sustainability.

About Prof. David Kenny:

Professor David Kenny is Head of the Teagasc Animal and Bioscience Research Department in Ireland. He has over 25 years of research experience in the biological control of a range of economically important traits to ruminant livestock production systems, including growth and reproductive efficiency, ruminal methanogenesis and the development and functionality of the rumen microbiome. He has supervised the studies of 19 Ph.D. and nine M.Sc. students to completion, as principal supervisor and his research has resulted in the publication of over 200 full length internationally peer reviewed scientific manuscripts and book chapters to-date. He is the incoming president of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS; April 2024), president of the Physiology Study Commission of the European Association of Animal Production and is a member of the management board of the international scientific journal, Animal. He has led many large research consortia and is currently co-ordinator of the recently awarded €5m Horizon Europe project, ‘Towards sustainable livestock systems: European platform for evidence building and transitioning policy (STEP UP)’. He was awarded the prestigious Hammond award by BSAS in 2018 in recognition of outstanding contribution to an improved understanding of how nutrition affects the complex underlying biology regulating economically important traits in cattle, including feed efficiency, rumen methane emissions and male and female reproduction.

He runs a beef and sheep farm in County Mayo, in the west of Ireland and is integrally involved, and is well known, within the beef cattle sector and wider agricultural industry in Ireland.

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person? In other words are you an optimist or a pessimist? What you might actually have noticed is that your underlying moods and emotions influence how you interpret the world around you. Having a good day with everything going well and in a positive mood then you might well be viewing the world through a glass half full lens. On the flip side if you’ve had one of those bad days, things might well look more pessimistic overall. This in fact represents an adaptive form of cognitive bias whereby our underlying emotional state influences our interpretation of ambiguous information. Importantly, in recent years we have demonstrated that non-human animals, including a range of farm animal species also demonstrate these cognitive biases. This matters for two important reasons. First it provides evidence that animals experience emotions and second it has implications for animal welfare.

An influential model of animal welfare assessment is the Five Domains Model that considers the domains of nutrition, physical environment, health and behavioural interactions, all of which feed into a fifth domain of mental state. This holistic approach helps emphasise that animal welfare is more than health. An animal can be healthy but have poor welfare. Thus, it highlights the importance of mental wellbeing. However, this presents a major challenge as how do we assess mental wellbeing in farm animals that can’t communicate directly with us? This has led to exciting, pioneering research that aims to better understand the emotional lives of non-human animals. Rather than using the word ‘emotion’, the more technical term used in this area is affective state. So now back to cognitive bias!

This approach has been developed by Professor Mike Mendl, Dr Liz Paul and others from the University of Bristol. Back in 2004, they published an influential Nature paper that has ultimately led to a new area of animal welfare science. In the 2004 study they trained lab rats so that when they heard one sound frequency they could receive a food reward by pressing a lever. Thus that sound frequency predicted a positive reward. They were also trained that when they heard a second different sound frequency they needed to avoid pressing the lever or something negative would happen (e.g. a blast of white noise). Once the rats learnt this so called ‘Go / No-go’ task, half of them were maintained in standard housing conditions. However, the other half were placed under housing conditions known to induce a degree of stress (e.g. damp bedding and unpredictable husbandry regimes). This experimental treatment was the manipulation of emotional state, the prediction being that those housed in unpredictable conditions would be in a more negative affective state than those maintained in the standard housing conditions. Following the housing period, the rats were then re-tested in the previous learning task. However, this included an important clever additional element! In addition to giving the rats trials where they heard the previously learnt sound tones, one frequency predicting the positive reward and the other something negative, in some trials they also played a sound frequency that was intermediate between the two previously learnt cues. That is, they exposed the rats to an ambiguous stimulus, essentially asking does the animal perceive it as predicting a reward or predicting a punishment. The prediction was that if those housed in the predictable housing were in a more positive emotional state than those in the unpredictable housing the former would be more likely to respond to the ambiguous sound tone as if it predicted a food reward. This was indeed what they found. This pioneering study then set the scene for a suite of so called judgement bias tasks than now span from invertebrates to a range of farm animal species, and was the subject of a recent meta-analysis of the topic. This includes some of my own research which has used the approach to demonstrate that giving dairy cows access to pasture had benefits for their affective state. Also, in work as part of a collaboration with Professor Simon Turner at SRUC in Edinburgh, we’re using the approach in pigs to assess if those animals that have lost an aggressive encounter are in a more negative affective state compared to winners. This matters because regrouping aggression is a welfare issue that needs to be managed in pig production.

Using judgement bias to infer animal emotion also has a number of limitations. For example, the approach of first training an animal on an associative learning task means it is only feasible in a research setting and not practical for on farm welfare assessment. This has sparked interesting research in alternative approaches. One such approach is termed attention bias. This is another form of cognitive bias whereby animals (including humans) in a negative affective state will pay more attention to potentially threatening stimuli compared with those in a more positive affective state. For example, this approach has been pharmacologically validated in sheep. In the study, individual sheep were allocated to one of three treatments, receiving either an anxiogenic drug to increase anxiety, an anxiolytic to reduce anxiety or a saline control. They were tested individually in an arena during which they were briefly exposed to a threatening stimulus (a dog seen through a window which was then covered after a short period of time). Subsequently those given the anxiogenic drug spent more time being vigilant and looking towards were the threat had been, while also being less likely to feed. This approach has the advantage of not requiring the animals to have been previously trained on a task. It has been used in a number of practical settings. For example, we’ve recently used it in a study involving dogs from a licenced breeding establishment and demonstrating that those that had been given additional environmental enrichment were less vigilant in an attention bias test, consistent with a more positive affective state. We’ve also recently used it as part of a study comparing the welfare of sheep managed using either virtual fencing or physical fencing and if you’re interested you can hear the results of that study at the upcoming BSAS conference!

While attention bias avoids the need for animals to learn a task, it is still not practical for inclusion in on farm assessments of animal welfare. For that an approach called Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) is proving very useful. QBA was pioneered and developed by Professor Francoise Wemelsfelder based at SRUC in Edinburgh. The approach involves a holistic assessment of the behavioural expression of an individual animal in relation to a list of descriptive terms, with the animal scored on a scale for each term. The descriptive terms could include words such as ‘relaxed’, ‘alert’, and ‘playful’. This sounds highly subjective and anthropomorphic. However, there is convincing evidence that how animals score using QBA is related to other validated measures of welfare. Indeed, the utility and success of this non-invasive observational approach is also evidenced by the fact it has now been incorporated into a number of UK assurance schemes used by retailers.

Previously research on animal emotion and sentience was deemed somewhat off limits and anthropomorphic. Now, thanks to pioneering researchers and advances in animal welfare science we are beginning to shed light on the mental wellbeing of non-human animals. However, there is still much that remains to be explored. In biology and science in general we talk about the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness. Research into animal mental states is within this challenging area. Rather than shy away from this we should embrace it and use it to attract talented researchers who like a challenge! Animal welfare science brings together a range of disciplines and perspectives with the goal of generating and using fundamental knowledge and understanding to have applied relevance to improve the lives of animals. Animal sentience, the capacity to experience emotions both positive and negative, is now enshrined in UK law with the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. Importantly this includes all vertebrates, as well as invertebrate decapod crustaceans and cephalopods. This is also raising the question regarding other species not currently included in the Act. For example, in the cognitive bias studies discussed above, honey bees have been found to perform as well as many other vertebrate species! With this in mind I see there is an interesting session on insect welfare at the upcoming conference. The UK also has the recent Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 with the aim of harnessing advances in animal breeding technology to enhance performance, health and welfare. While technologies in this area can have great potential the legislation also requires approaches to follow up with welfare assessments of the animals involved. It will be important that this includes practical approaches to assess mental state and wellbeing. This is an exciting time to be involved in animal welfare science. For those interested in finding out more about the opportunities for research in this multidisciplinary area then take a look at the Animal Welfare Research Network (https://awrn.co.uk/). This is funded by BBSRC and Defra and is free to join.      

Written by Gareth Arnott, Queens University Belfast

The winds of change are blowing! When animal – open space was launched in June 2021, one of the aims was to propose an alternative to the standard external peer review of manuscripts. We believe that external peer review contributes to but is not a guarantee of the quality of a scientific paper. We see this nowadays with papers being published by journals after a peer review of doubtful quality. Open Science thus puts a greater responsibility on the shoulders of readers. Up to now, manuscripts in animal – open space were reviewed by scientific editors of the journal who meticulously evaluate the content of the manuscripts, focusing on the reproducibility of the study and the associated data. In accordance with the philosophy of Open Science, the journal set up a postpublication, open-commenting process that allows readers to interact with authors through the PubPeer platform via a link called “Discuss the Article”. The intention was to encourage an open discussion about the published article and replace the “hidden” reviews done by a couple of peers. Unfortunately, this reader-author interaction has not been widely used. Is the scientific community not ready yet to engage in such an open discussion? Are we too early with this approach? This remains unclear. Nevertheless, in addition to the peer-review, the goal remains to foster an open dialogue between readers and authors regarding the published article.

Authors who published their research results and the associated data in animal – open space support the concept of Open Science promoted by the journal. However, other authors have been reluctant because their institutions request them to publish research only in journals with an Impact Factor. We recently learned that animal - open space is not eligible to apply for indexation in the Journal Citation Reports database (WoS) to get an Impact Factor because it does not have implemented an external peer review process. We regret this position, but this is as it stands now. Again, we might have been too early in trying to fully embrace Open Science. Those who rely on metrics probably put too much value on external peer review as a key to scientific quality. Our view is that it is better to have a solid open internal peer review process than to pretend to do this with a non-transparent external peer review process. But we have to face reality. Whether we like it or not, Impact Factor is still perceived as an indicator of the quality of a journal, and having an external peer review is necessary to be eligible for getting one. The journal has therefore decided to add an external peer review process to papers submitted to animal – open space. In line with our philosophy, the reviewers’ comments and authors’ response will be accessible to readers as supplementary material with the manuscript. As the editor-in-chief of the journal, I am excited about this new step in the development of animal - open space. I hope that all those reading these lines will consider this journal for future publications, especially for types of publications such as Data Papers and Method Articles.

animal – open space will continue offering the possibility to publish not only classical Research Articles but also Data Papers and Method Articles that relate to farmed or other managed animals, leisure and companion animals, and the use of insects for animal feed and human food. By the end of 2023, 54 manuscripts have been published, including 5 data papers and 12 method papers. Despite being a new journal in the livestock research field, the articles published in animal – open space are well-perceived by the community.

Especially encouraging is the fact that Data Papers and Method Articles published in 2022 have already been cited in 2023, indicating that these types of articles are highly valued by the research community.

animal – science proceedings is one of the three scientific journals jointly owned by a Consortium comprised of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP) and the Institut National de Recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (INRAE).  The journals are currently published by Elsevier.

animal – science proceedings publishes high-quality proceedings from conferences, symposia and workshops on aspects of life sciences with emphasis on farmed and other managed animals, leisure and companion animals, and insects. More information about animal – science proceedings can be found on the websites of the Consortium and the publisher.

The Consortium is seeking candidates for the position of Editor-in-Chief for animal – science proceedings. The Editor-in-Chief ensures the co-ordination, preparation and publication of the journal, in co-ordination with the publisher.

The Editor-in-chief is responsible for the development of the journal within the framework of the budget defined by the Management Board, to:

• propose the scientific guidelines of the journal to the Management Board
• ensure the scientific quality of the journal
• ensure good relations with conference organisers and with the guest editors for the issue
• ensure harmonious relations with the publisher or printer, or the service provider in charge of digital dissemination of the journal

His/her main activities are to:

• organise all aspects of the editorial process
• liaise with the publisher to provide conference organisers with deadlines and costs
• agree guest editors with the conference organisers
• liaise with the conference organisers to ensure deadlines are met and the manuscript provided for publication meet journal guidelines
• liaise regularly with the publisher in relation to the production of the journal and to other matters such as marketing
• liaise with the other editors to identify full (review) articles from conferences that may be published in animal
• meet the scientific and publication targets set by the Management Board
• operate within budget framework defined by the Management Board
• undertake any other activities as determined by the Management Board

There are normally between five and nine issues per year that require a time commitment of three working days an issue on average. In addition, about 10 days are required for attendance animal consortium meetings, most of which are virtual. Candidates are expected to have experience in writing scientific articles, to possess good communication skills, and to take initiative while being a team player. The Editor-in-Chief will receive a fixed honorarium for his/her activities.

For more information about this position, please contact Jaap van Milgen (chair of the animal Consortium; jaap.vanmilgen@inrae.fr) or Cledwyn Thomas (current Editor-in-Chief of animal – science proceedings; cledwyn.thomas@gmail.com).

Candidates are asked to send their CV and a short motivation letter to Jaap van Milgen by May 15th, 2024. The appointment can start in September 2024, and includes a 4-months transition period with the current Editor-in-Chief. 

About Dr Isabelle Louveau, Editor-in-Chief

• 1991 : Doctorate in Biology, Rennes 1 University, France, with an 18-month internship in a research laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, State College, USA
• 1992 : recruitment as a researcher in INRA (French National Institute of Research in Agronomy, now INRAE)
• 2006 : Accreditation to supervise research
• 2005-20007 : Editor, Domestic Animal Endocrinology's editorial board
• 2015–2019 : "Physiology" section editor, Livestock Science's editorial board
• Since 2015 : Editor, Journées de la Recherche Porcine (Swine Days' Research) organisation committee
• 2017–2022 : Vice-president, Commission on Animal Physiology, EAAP (2 terms)
• 2020-2023 : Editor and then Deputy Section Editor, Physiology & Functional Biology Section, animal's editorial board
• From 2024 : Editor-in-chief, animal

Who owns animal?

The animal journal is part of a journal family (animal, animal – science proceedings, and animal – open space) owned by an international consortium comprised of two learned societies and one research institution:

• BSAS : British Society of Animal Science
• EAAP : European Federation of Animal Science
• INRAE : Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (French National Institute for Research in Agriculture, Food and Environment)

All decisions regarding animal are made by the consortium. The journal is completely independent in its editorial policy and strategy. The royalties it receives (45% of income for each published article) are shared between the consortium members. These funds are then allocated to finance conferences, targeted research actions, etc. Read more here.

1. After a transition period at the end of 2019, animal implemented Gold Open Access in 2020. What consequences did you observe after this change of business model, from 2020 up to 2024?

• We first observed a change in submitting authors' geographical profiles. Some countries cannot afford article-publishing charges and no longer submit as a result. The animal journal is a member of Research4Life, a partnership that grants waivers to teams of researchers from low-income countries. We can also offer a limited number of waivers. Despite these two schemes though, we have unfortunately lost submissions from these countries.
• animal's impact factor did not decrease when we transitioned to the Gold Open Access model. On the contrary, it rose above the threshold of three in 2021. This threshold is a minimum requirement to publish for some institutions. As a result, some authors who previously would not submit started to send us articles. More recently, Clarivate has changed its calculation methods for impact factors. This led to a better ranking for animal amongst journals of the same category.
• On the whole though, transitioning to a Gold Open Access model has caused a 30 to 40% decrease in the overall number of submissions. We have only recently (since summer 2023) started to observe a slight pick-up in the number of submissions.
• As for the quality of submissions: it has spread out towards the extremes. We receive a significantly greater number of out-of-scope or sub-standard quality articles. However, we also receive more articles of excellent quality. The overall quality of acceptable and accepted articles has noticeably increased.

2. Could you tell us more about the journal's scope widening to include insects, as of 2024?

• The decision to widen animal's scope to include insects was made by the journal's Management Board. It stems from the Board's will to adapt to the development of new livestock farming sectors, as evidenced by the ever-increasing number of communications concerning or including insect production submitted to EAAP's Annual Meetings.
• The journal's scope has now been adapted to include insects. However, just as for all other animal species within the scope:
  • It is the production aspect and rearing factors that are of interest for animal;
  • Animal responses must be included, in particular whole-animal outcomes.
• This new section will be cross-disciplinary and theme-based: it will be centred around insects and all aspects of insect production, unlike other sections, which are organised by disciplines.
• The new Section Editor, as well as a Deputy Section Editor and a few editors, have already been recruited.
• Submissions of articles about insect production are already welcome!

3. What is animal's editorial policy regarding the quality assessment of articles?

Articles are assessed through a multi-criterion evaluation. It entails:

• Assessing overall comprehensibility, including
  • the quality of scientific content, that is the clarity of the expression of ideas and scientific concepts,
  • the quality of the English language used and its legibility;
• Ensuring that principles of responsible publishing and ethics are respected, for instance by
  • detecting plagiarism,
  • ensuring that international authorship standards are upheld and CRediT author statement is used,
  • ensuring that any use of artificial intelligence to assist in writing be duly acknowledged;
• Evaluating the scientific quality and the reproducibility of the research presented.

Recently, we have decided to raise our standards when it comes to statistics in articles, to foster a better understanding of studies and their analysis by readers. We will soon publish a Statistics guidebook for authors, reviewers, and editors, which will formalise our expectations and provide guidance to support authors and help them to produce robust and reproducible statistics.

BSAS hosts conference amid 80th anniversary celebrations

The British Society of Animal Science’s (BSAS) Annual Conference, is set to take place in Belfast from April 9th to April 11th, 2024, coinciding with the society's 80th anniversary celebrations. Established in 1944, BSAS has been at the forefront of fostering collaboration and innovation in animal science for eight decades.

The conference, themed on ‘The role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy’ is shaping up to be a dynamic and enriching event, offering unparalleled opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration as it will convene experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from across the UK and Ireland and beyond to discuss and explore the latest scientific advancements and knowledge.

The opening session of the conference will include Prof Maggie Gill (Aberdeen Uni), Prof Frank O’Mara of Teagasc and the EU Animal Task Force and Dr Katie McDermott (University of Leeds).  Frank will be the main speaker opening the debate and outlining the current state of knowledge with regard to the role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy.

A further highlight of this year's conference is the President’s Session (Wednesday 10th April), in which the presidents of the British Ecological Society (Prof Bridget Emmett; UKCEH); British Society of Soil Science (Dr Jack Hannan, Cranfield Uni); President-Elect from the Agricultural Economics Society of Ireland (Dr Erin Sherry, AFBI) and Elizabeth Magowan, President of BSAS, will come together to discuss and find a fact-based position on the role of livestock in our ecosystems and economy. The session will be chaired by a past President of the Ulster Farmers Union – Prof John Gilliland.   The presidents session will be followed by the ‘Hammond Lecture’ which will be delivered by Prof Hannah Van Zanten of Wageningen University.  Hannah is a world leading scientist, and her presentation will outline novel approaches to driving circularity in farming systems with Livestock a key feature of that circular system.

On Thursday 11th April, sessions on sustainable beef production and reducing the environmental impact of dairy systems will address the potential interventions which will reduce emissions and how we can apply science to best benefit.

The highlights above are just a few examples of the cutting-edge science and its practical application that will be discussed and debated at the conference. Full programme details can be found here.

There are various options for attending e.g. one day ticket, three day ticket, 80th anniversary Gala dinner ticket and a one off special offer of £120 to attend the presidents session noted above, including lunch.