PhD Research Assistantship in Poultry Behaviour and Welfare
University of Guelph and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
General: A PhD studentship in poultry behaviour and welfare is available for a highly qualified student to examine the effect of rearing system on the welfare of laying hens in alternative housing. This multi-disciplinary project includes aspects of behaviour, bone biology and production and will be conducted at the University of Guelph in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The position includes a guaranteed stipend of $18,500 per year for three years. Canadian citizens and permanent residents will also be encouraged to apply for NSERC support.
Project: Concerns about the welfare of laying hens in conventional cages are impacting the way that eggs are produced and marketed around the world. A variety of alternative housing systems have been developed, but each has its own set of welfare risks. We have assembled a team with expertise in animal welfare science, poultry science and epidemiology. Over the course of this 3-year project, the student will work with the team to conduct a series of laboratory experiments and field trials that address the behaviour and health of hens in alternative housing systems in Canada. We will focus on how rearing environment affects the welfare of hens in enriched systems with a goal of optimizing the welfare of hens in those systems.
Qualifications: Applicants must hold or expect to hold (at the time of the start of award) a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in science, preferably in animal welfare and/or poultry science and must be admissible to the Graduate School of the University of Guelph. Selection will be based on academic achievement. The applicant must be resourceful and autonomous and have strong written and oral communication skills.
Start date: September 2011 or January 2012
For further information and to apply for this position, contact:
Dr. Tina Widowski
University of Guelph
Department of Animal and Poultry Science
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Canada
Email: twidowsk@uoguelph.ca Phone (519) 824 4120 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (519) 824 4120 end_of_the_skype_highlighting x52408 Fax (519) 836 9873
This project will be co-supervised by Dr. Stephanie Torrey, storrey@uoguelph.ca.
For general information about the graduate program at the University of Guelph, contact Wendy McGrattan, Graduate Program Assistant [E-mail: wmcgratt@uoguelph.ca], or visit the department website, http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/.