Communications/
Scientific Meetings

2008

August

Theme: Animal Companions for Life
Date: Thursday, 21 August
Proceedings: Animal companions for life

July

Theme: Dairy cow welfare: Solutions for current problems
Date: Tuesday, 8th July
Time: 1.30pm – 5.00pm inc afternoon tea (RSVP before 1 July)

Speakers:

• John Webster, Emeritus Professor of Animal Husbandry, The University of Bristol, UK – "Dairy cow welfare: Solutions for current problems"

May

Theme: Remote sensing
Date: Friday, 9th May
Time: 1.30pm – 5.00pm inc afternoon tea (RSVP before 2 May)

Speakers:

• Ian McCauley, DPI Victoria – "Remote monitoring of livestock: Wireless and the Wii - improving livestock welfare"
• Andrew Bubb, Desert Knowledge CRC - "Remote management of cattle in central Australia. Current applications and opportunities for the future"
• Tim Stockman, Stockman Electronics - "The physical limitations of wireless sensing technologies to monitor livestock"
• Greg Cronin, DPI Victoria - "Using machine vision (automatic video image analysis) to monitor hens in cages"

March

Theme: Duty of Care
Date: Wednesday, 26th March
Time: 1.30pm – 5.00pm inc afternoon tea (RSVP before 17 Mar)

Speakers:

• Alistair Lawrence Head of Animal Welfare, Scottish Agricultural College, Animal Welfare & Behaviour, SAC - "Improving public attitudes and behaviour to animals"
• Grahame Coleman School of Psychology, Psychiatry & Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Animal Welfare Science Centre - "Public education"

Theme: Livestock export
Date: Monday 3 Marcht 2008
Time: 1.00pm – 3.00pm
Location: DPI Auditorium, 475 Mickleham Road, Attwood
Speakers:

• Prof Clive Phillips, Centre for Animal Welfare & Ethics – “Welfare aspects of the live export of sheep and cattle”

2007

December

Theme: AWSC Companion Animal Research
Date: Friday 7 December 2007
Time: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
Location: The University of Melbourne
Speakers: See presentations

November

Theme: Government Agencies’ philosophies, priorities & programs on Animal Welfare
Date: Friday 23 November 2007
Time: 1.45pm – 5.00pm
Location: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood)
Speakers:

• Steve Tate, Bureau of Animal Welfare – “BAW’s philosophy, priorities & programs”
• Robert Baker, Primary Industries & Resources SA - "Animal Welfare in SA”
• Allan Sheridan, DAFF – “The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy”

September

Theme: Animal Welfare Research Groups’ philosophies, priorities & programs on Animal Welfare
Date: Friday 21 September 2007
Time: 1.45pm – 5.00pm
Location: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood)
Speakers:

• Paul Hemsworth, Animal Welfare Science Centre – “AWSC’s philosophy, priorities & programs”
• Clive Phillips, Centre for Animal Welfare & Ethics - "CAWE’s philosophies, priorities and programs”
• Andrew Fisher – “CSIRO Animal WelfareResearch - Philosophy, priorities and programs”

Theme: Current Animal Welfare Research at The Ohio State University
Date: Wednesday September 5th
Time: 2.30pm - 4.00pm
Place: DPI Auditorium, 475 Mickleham Road, Attwood
Speakers:

• Dr Naomi Botheras: – “ Welfare Research at The Ohio State University”

August

Theme: Human-Animal Interaction in the Research Setting
Date: Tuesday 14 August 2007
Time: 10.00am – 3.00pm
Location: DPI Auditorium, 475 Mickleham Road, Attwood
Speakers:

• John Barnett – “ Policy on the care & use of sheep for scientific purposes’s Philosophies, priorities, plans”

July

Theme: Animal Welfare Groups’ philosophies, priorities & programs on Animal Welfare
Date: Friday 13 July 2007
Time: 1.45pm – 5.00pm
Location: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood)
Speakers:

• Hugh Wirth, RSPCA (Vic) – “RSPCA Animal Welfare Philosophy & Policies”
• Glenys Oogjes, Animals Australia - "AA’s Philosophies, priorities, plans”
• Carole De Fraga, Compassion in World Farming – “CIWF’s Philosophy, priorities and programmes”

June

Theme: Industries’ philosophies, priorities & programs on Animal Welfare
Date: Friday 8 June 2007
Time: 1.45pm – 5.00pm
Location: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood)

Speakers:

• Kathleen Plowman, Australian Pork Ltd – “APL Animal Care”
• David Witcombe, Australian Egg Corp Ltd - "Layer Hen Welfare: a challenging & complex issue”
• Helen Dornom, Dairy Australia – “Dairy Industry Perspective & Approach to Animal Welfare”
• Joan Lloyd, Australian Wool Innovation - "Animal Welfare Priorities and Programs for Extensively Raised Sheep"

Theme: Preference Testing
Date: Friday 1 June 2007
Time: 9.30am
Location: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood)

Speakers:

• Ken Smith, Ohio State University - "Preference testing and the Y-maze"
  

March

Theme: Personality
Date: Monday 26 March 2007
Time: 2.00pm - 4.30pm
Location: Monash University, Caulfield Campus. 900 Dandenong Road, Caulfield East 3145. Building H, Room H237

Speakers:

• Bob Kilgour - "Towards an understanding of animal personality"
• Jacqui Ley - "Measuring Personality in dogs"

February

Theme: Foetal Awareness
Date: February 7
Time and Place: Conference Room, Dept of Primary Industries, 600 Sneydes Rd, Werribee VIC 3030, 2.00 - 3.30pm.

Speakers:

• Prof. David Mellor. "Birth and hatching: key events in the onset of awareness in the lamb and chick"

2006

November

Theme: AWSC Cattle Science Meeting
Date: November 21
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm.

Speakers:

• Andrew Fisher. "Road transport of cattle - effects of journey duration and loading practices"

Theme: AWSC Pig Science Meeting
Date: November 10
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm

Speakers:

• Bronwyn Stevens. "The welfare of gestating sows in conventional stalls & in large groups on deep litter"
• Marcus Karlen. "Injuries in breeding sows"
• Dr Steve Tate. "National Pig Code - current situation"

Theme: Animal welfare monitoring systems and audits
Date: November 1
Time and Place: Conference Room, Dept of Primary Industries, 600 Sneydes Rd, Werribee VIC 3030, 11 am - 12 noon.

Speakers:

• Prof. Linda Keeling. "Animal welfare monitoring systems and audits"

October

Theme: Sheep Welfare in Australia
Date: October 20
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.

Speakers:

• Dr. Angus Campbell. "Quantified estimates of risk factors for post-weaning mortality in merinos"
• Dr. Ralph Behrendt. "Lifetime wool project"

September

Theme: Dairy Cattle Welfare
Date: September 1
Time and Place: Monash University Caulfield, Room F2.01. 1.30pm-4.00pm

Speakers:

• Dr. Naomi Botheras. "Time Budgets for Dairy Cattle - welfare impacts"
• Dr. Mariko Lauber. "Behavioural development in dairy calves"

August

Theme: International Developments in Animal Welfare
Date: August 18
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.30pm.

Speakers:

• Dr. Jim Kinder. "Animal Welfare Developments - research and extension at Ohio State"
• Dr. Peter Bailey. "Animal Health and Welfare Developments Overseas: Recent USA/UK tour"

July

Theme: Animal Welfare in the extensive Sheep Industries
Date: July 28
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.

Speakers:

• Andrew Thompson. 'Lifetime Wool Project'
• Adele Arnold. 'Mulesing'
• Angus Campbell. 'McKinnon Project'

June

Theme: Welfare Methodology
Date: June 9
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 12.30pm - 4.30pm.

Speakers:

• Presentation by Berry Spruijt. "Anticipation cognitive aspects and awareness."
• Presentation by Paul Hemsworth (ORL project – pigs and poultry). "Welfare methodology – aligning the functional and preference approaches to welfare assessment"

May

Theme: Latest research in the poultry industry (animal behaviour and welfare)
Date: May 6th
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) 1.30pm - 4.00pm.

Speakers:

• Dr John Barnett (Principal Scientist, Department of Primary Industries Victoria). "Welfare of birds in furnished cages"
• Dr Phil Glatz (Senior Research Scientist, PIRSA, South Australia). "the latest developments in relation to beak trimming"
• Dr Greg Cronin (Statewide leader, Animal Welfare, Department of Primary Industries Victoria). "an understanding of nesting behaviour"

April

Theme: Pain assessment
Date: April 22nd
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.

Speakers:

• Professor David Mellor (Animal Welfare Science, Applied Physiology and Bioethics, Director of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, Massey University, New Zealand). (presentation title to be confirmed).
• Dr Ross Young (Senior Lecturer - Department of Physiology, Monash University) (presentation title to be confirmed).

March

Theme: Conflict and compatability: issues in animal production in relation to housing.
Date: March 11th
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.

Speakers:

• Professor Lee Johnson (QAF Meat Industries) "Animal housing, nutrition, health, welfare and food safety"
• Professor Kevin Stafford (Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Massey University, New Zealand), "organic farming and animal welfare"

February

Theme: Public perceptions
Date: February 25th
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.

Speakers:

• Professor Grahame Coleman (Department Head, School of Psychology, Monash University,) "Public perceptions and animal welfare"
• Emma Coath (Department of Primary Industries, Food Industry Project Manager, Agribusiness). "Understanding the relative importance of animal welfare as a credence attribute of food products in International markets".
• Other speaker TBA.

2005

July

Date: July 22nd
Speakers:

• Dr John Hodges (Author and speaker on food and agriculture, genetics and ethics). "Animal ethics and livestock production - Where are we going with our livestock?"
• Dr Neil Levy (Research Fellow with the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics).

May

Theme: Latest research in the poultry industry (animal behaviour and welfare)
Date: May 6th
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) 1.30pm - 4.00pm
Speakers:

• Dr John Barnett (Principal Scientist, Department of Primary Industries Victoria). "Welfare of birds in furnished cages"
• Dr Phil Glatz (Senior Research Scientist, PIRSA, South Australia). "The latest developments in relation to beak trimming"
• Dr Greg Cronin (Statewide leader, Animal Welfare, Department of Primary Industries Victoria). "An understanding of nesting behaviour"

April

Theme: Pain assessment
Date: April 22nd
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.
Speakers:

• Professor David Mellor (Animal Welfare Science, Applied Physiology and Bioethics, Director of the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, Massey University, New Zealand).
• Dr Ross Young (Senior Lecturer - Department of Physiology, Monash University) (presentation title to be confirmed).

March

Theme: Conflict and compatability: issues in animal production in relation to housing.
Date: March 11th
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.
Speakers:

• Professor Lee Johnson (QAF Meat Industries) "Animal housing, nutrition, health, welfare and food safety"
• Professor Kevin Stafford (Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Massey University, New Zealand), "Organic farming and animal welfare"

February

Theme: Public perceptions
Date: February 25th
Time and Place: Department of Primary Industries Attwood, (475 Mickleham Road, Attwood) commencing 1.30pm - 4.00pm.
Speakers:

• Professor Grahame Coleman (Department Head, School of Psychology, Monash University,) "Public perceptions and animal welfare"
• Emma Coath (Department of Primary Industries, Food Industry Project Manager, Agribusiness). "Understanding the relative importance of animal welfare as a credence attribute of food products in International markets"

2004

November

Housing and the welfare of gestating sows

• Dr John Barnett - "Evaluation of sow stall dimensions."
• Guille Karlen - "The welfare of gestating sows in conventional stalls and in large groups on deep-litter."

September

Dairy cow behaviour, productivity & welfare

• Adele Arnold - "The effect of milking shed noise on dairy cow behaviour using a Y maze."
• Naomi Botherus - "Time budgets of Australian dairy cows on pasture."
• Professor Clive Phillips

Horse Welfare

• Naomi Pearson - "Horse welfare"
• Dr Ellen Jongman
• Dr Andrew McLean

Special Presentation - Tail docking in dairy cows

• Dr Ian Duncan, University of Guelph, Canada - "The costs and benefits of tail docking dairy cows"

July - Welfare assessment

• Dr Laura Green, Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick - "Use of epidemiology to assess animal welfare - advantages and disadvantages"
• Professor Paul H. Hemsworth. Director, Animal Welfare Science Centre, Werribee

May - Dogs

• Dr. Pauleen Bennett (Monash University) - "Introduction: dog welfare"
• Lauren Hemsworth - "Dogs in shelters - effects of the initial 8 day isolation period)"
• Kevin Kerswell - "Dog morphology, communication and behaviour - studies for PhD)"
• Linda Marston - "An investigation of factors affecting the success of canine adoptions from animal welfare shelters"

2003

June - Fish

• Dr Steve Tate - Director, Bureau of Animal Welfare - "Fish Legislation - Victoria"
• Dr Neville G. Gregory - Research Scientist, SARDI - "When do we stop worrying about animal suffering? - Do fish feel pain?"
• Mr Ray Page - Executive Officer, VRFish - "Fish Care"

November - Welfare QA and public attitudes to animal welfare

• Dr. John Barnett (DPI) - "Welfare QA in the pig industry"
• Professor Grahame Coleman (AWSC, Psychology, Monash University) - "Public attitudes to animal welfare, their influence on the individual and how do we assess them"

2002

January - Dairy Cattle

"Tail-docking and de-horning of dairy cattle"
"Pain relief with these procedures"
"Lameness in dairy cows"

• Dr.s Jeff Rushen and Anne Marie de Passille, Dairy and Swine R&D Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• David Mellor, Massey University, NZ
• Dr. Lindsay Matthews, Animal Behaviour and Welfare Centre, Ruakura, NZ
• Dr. Jacob Malmo, Maffra Vet Clinic

May - Plant toxins and their effects on livestock

"Plant toxins and their effects on animal welfare"

• Dr Steven Colegate, Plant Toxins Research Group, CSIRO, Geelong - "Plant-associated toxins: blindness, liver damage, convulsions, respiratory distress and death."
• Dr Kevin Reed, Pastoral & Veterinary Institute, Hamilton - "Do the perennial ryegrass endophyte alkaloids lower the value of production of Australia's dairy, meat, wool and seed industries?"
• Dr Colin Scrivener, University of Melbourne, Werribee - "Ryegrass staggers - more than just a case of the jitters."
• Dr Katrina Rainsford, Pastoral & Veterinary Institute, Hamilton - "What do Socrates, Sherlock Holmes & sheep farmers have in common? They have all been affected by alkaloids."

Follow-up information on the Autumn 2002 Perennial Ryegrass Toxicosis - The following information has been provided with the permission of the authors of the articles (Dr Kevin Reed, Dr Katrina Rainsford, Dr Dion Borg and Dr Leo Cummins; Department of Primary Industries, Pastoral and Veterinary Institute, Hamilton, Victoria). We gratefully acknowledge the authors and the Grassland Society of Victoria for allowing us to place this information on the AWC website.

• Perennial ryegrass toxicosis in autumn 2002 - The epidemic and its effects
• Perennial ryegrass toxicosis in autumn 2002 - Solutions and management

2001

February - Poultry

• Professor Don Broom (Colleen Macleod Professor of Animal Welfare at the University of Cambridge) - "Poultry welfare and other farm animal issues in Europe"
• Dr. John Barnett (DPI Werribee) - "Changes in the egg industry resulting from the recommendations by the State/Territory Agriculture Ministers"
• Ms. Meg Parkinson (President of the Victorian Farmers Federation egg group) - "Initiatives in the Victorian egg industry to meet the ARMCANZ recommendations"

March - Companion Animals (Dogs and Cats)

• Professor Grahame Coleman (Psychology, Monash University) - "Child/companion-animal attachment in families"
• Dr. Eleonora Gullone (Psychology, Monash University) - "Human and animal abuse: The cruelty connection"
• Ms. Neva Van de Kuyt (Masters student, University of Melbourne & Bureau of Animal Welfare) - Protocol "Dogs and cats in the community - seeking a better understanding of community attitudes in order to facilitate legislative compliance and development of Government policy and programs"

May

• Professor John Cooper and Mrs Margaret Cooper (UK) - "Working with wildlife: perspectives of a veterinarian and a lawyer"
• Dr. Larry Clarke (USDA, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA) - "Cell culture of nociceptors: towards develompent of high through-put screening assays for primary repellents"

June - Companion Animals studied in PhD projects

• Amanda Kobelt (PhD student, University of Melbourne) - "Behaviour and welfare of dogs in suburban backyards"
• Andrew McLean (PhD student, University of Melbourne) - "Classical, operant and observation learning in horses: implications for training"
• Naomi Pearson (Masters student, University of Melbourne and the Bureau of Animal Welfare) - "Protocol - A study of horse ownership, management and welfare in Victoria"

October - Future welfare issues

"Future Welfare Issues""

• Ms. Glenys Oogjes (Animals Australia)
• Mr. Richard Hunter (RSPCA)
• Dr. David Skerman (Meat Livestock Australia)
• Dr. Stephen Tate (Bureau of Animal Welfare, Victoria)

November - Dog Aggression to humans

Workshop on dog aggression to humans

"Scope of problem in Victoria - what we know about the incidence, characteristics of bites and injuries, demographics and community cost"

• Karen Ashby (Monash University Accident Research Centre) - Analysis of the Victorian data collected by the MUARC
• John McCrory (Bureau of Animal Welfare) - Analysis of BAW data on dog bites in public places
• Russell McMurray (Municipal Association of Victorian) - A council perspective on the scope of the problem

"Causation of dog aggression to humans - Dog characteristics."

• Kath Champness (University of Melbourne) - Genetics
• Paul Hemsworth (University of Melbourne & DPI Werribee) - Ontogeny, learning and the immediate environment

"Causation of dog aggression to humans - Human characteristics."

• Grahame Coleman (Monash University) - Attitudes, personality and demographics
• Pauline Bennett (Monash University) - Human behaviour

2000

March - Dogs

• Ms. Neva Van de Kuyt (Bureau of Animal Welfare) - "Dog attacks in public places"
• Dr Greg Cronin (DPI Werribee) - "A study of the welfare implications of an anti-barking device for dogs"
• Professor Paul Hemsworth (UofM and AV) - Briefing on two new research projects "The behaviour and welfare of dogs in suburban backyards" and "A preliminary assessment of the welfare of pigs in outdoor pig production"

May - Intensive industries - research

• Dr John Barnett (DPI Werribee) - "Poultry housing and welfare in Europe"
• Ms. Rebecca Sargent (PhD student, University of Melbourne) - "Deep litter housing for growing pigs: some of the important components of the system affecting pig behaviour and performance"

July - Research in the dairy and pork industries and the stockperson

• Dr Ellen Jongman (DPI Werribee) - Proposed ARC project "Pain and induced calving in dairy cows"
• Current (1999-2001) PRDC Project - "A handling training program for pig handlers at abattoirs"
• Professor Paul Hemsworth (Agriculture Victoria and University of Melbourne) - "Abattoir stockperson behaviour, pig fear and meat quality"
• Professor Grahame Coleman (Monash University) - "Attitudes and behaviour of abattoir stockpeople towards pigs"

September - Horses

• Eva Søndergaard (PhD student, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences) - "Human-horse relationships - factors affecting the relationship and its implication for the horse"

October - Pork, Dog and Layer industries

• Dr John Barnett (DPI Werribee) - Protocol - "Evaluation of stall dimensions for pregnant female pigs" (Current PRDC project)
• Paul Hemsworth (Uni Melb and DPI Werribee) - Protocol - "A study of the relative aversiveness of electronic training collars for dogs" (Proposed commercial project)
• Dr. Steve Tate (Bureau of Animal Welfare) - Report and open discussion on the current status of the Layer Hen Review (ARMCANZ)

November - Dairy industry

"Induced calving in the dairy industry"

• Dr. Jock Macmillan (Uni Melb) - "Induced calving: situation in the Australian dairy and the future of the practice"
• Dr. Jakob Malmo (Maffra Veterinary Clinic) - "Effects of induced calving on cow health"
• Dr. John Morton (Agriculture Victoria) - "Effects of induced calving on cow reproduction"
• Dr. Onn Ben-David (RSPCA) - "The RSPCA view on induced calving"

For information on meetings prior to 2000, contact the Animal Welfare Science Centre

The Animal Welfare Science Centre was established by the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. The Centre focuses and coordinates the research and academic resources of the three collaborating organisations, providing the animal industries, animal users, the farming community, Government, the general community and the academic community with an internationally competitive research, teaching and training resource in animal welfare.