Identification of risk factors during broiler transportation that influence injury and mortality
Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre and Centre for Veterinary Epidemiological Research
Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College
University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
Supervisors: Dr. Michael Cockram (Chair in Animal Welfare) and
Dr. Crawford Revie (Canada Research Chair in Epi-informatics)
Application Deadline: February 29th 2012 or until the position is filled.
Funding: Funded by the Canadian Poultry Research Council and The Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre this grant will provide a graduate student stipend of $23,675 p.a. for three years. The graduate student would be responsible for paying their own fees.
(Current annual fees are approximately $4,400 for a Canadian student and $10,700 for an international student. Research costs, travel/conference participation, etc will be funded by the research grant.)
Project outline: This is a collaborative research project with the Canadian poultry industry to reduce the numbers of broiler birds that die or are injured between removal from the rearing barn and unloading at the slaughterplant. There will be several parts to this project: (a) a multivariable epidemiological analysis of slaughterplant and transport records provided by poultry slaughterplants to increase knowledge and understanding of the factors affecting injury and mortality when poultry are transported for slaughter, (b) ‘on-farm’ observations of broiler catching and loading to quantify different handling practices and their relationship with injury and mortality, and (c) use of the knowledge and understanding gained in this study and by a review of the literature to inform stakeholders by producing educational and training materials on management and other practices that are likely to reduce the prevalence of poultry injury and mortality during catching and transportation.
Eligibility: This position is open to Canadian and international students with an undergraduate degree or Masters degree related to either: animal welfare, epidemiology, animal/poultry science, or veterinary medicine. The student will be required to undertake training in animal welfare and epidemiology, to conduct field work, to give conference presentations and to prepare educational materials.
Information about graduate research at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island http://www.upei.ca/avc/research/gradstudies. The Master of Science program is normally a two year program involving a minimum of four graduate courses and a research project leading to a thesis. The PhD program is normally a three year program (after completion of an MSc degree) and involves some additional course work plus a more extensive, independent research project and thesis. The possibility exists for students to enrol initially in an MSc program and subsequently transfer to a PhD.
If interested, please contact:
Dr Michael Cockram http://www.upei.ca/awc/ Email mcockram@upei.ca Tel. 1-902-566-6785, or Dr Crawford Revie http://cver.upei.ca Email crevie@upei.ca Tel. 1-902-620-5062.