Dr. Rebecca Meagher: Improving Dairy Cattle Welfare | Ep. 116

The Dairy Podcast Show

Hello there!

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Rebecca Meagher from Dalhousie University discusses the intricacies of animal welfare, focusing on dairy cattle. Dr. Meagher explores practical ways to enhance natural behaviors, reduce stress, and improve the well-being of dairy herds. Tune in now, available on all major platforms.

"We can’t ask animals directly what they feel, but we can tell a lot from their behavior. By offering choices, we can understand their positive or negative experiences."

Meet the guest: Dr. Rebecca Meagher is an Associate Professor in Animal Welfare at Dalhousie University. With a BSc in Zoology from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Guelph, Dr. Meagher focuses on how housing and management affect the welfare and behavior of captive animals, particularly dairy cattle and farmed mink. Her research explores the impact of social environments and environmental enrichment on stress, cognition, and productivity, with a special focus on early-life management.

What you'll learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:51) Introduction
• (02:51) Measuring welfare
• (04:55) Defining natural behavior
• (09:51) Social contact in calves
• (11:29) Enriching dairy environments
• (16:26) Benefits of animal welfare
• (24:07) Final three questions

The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Adisseo

- ICC

- Diamond V

- Volac

- SmaXtec

- Acepsis

- Trouw Nutrition

- Protekta

- Natural Biologics

- dsm-firmenich

- Berg + Schmidt

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Instagram: The Dairy Podcast Show

LinkedIn: The Dairy Podcast Show