General: A graduate assistantship is available for a highly qualified student through the University of Guelph to examine the effects of alternative feeding strategies for broiler breeders. The assistantship includes a stipend of $20,000 per year for three years, with additional funds for presentations at international congresses. The successful applicant will gain skills related to data collection, analysis and interpretation, and knowledge transfer to industry and scientific audiences. Opportunities for teaching, extension and grant writing may be available dependent on the successful candidate’s background and interests.
Project: Broiler breeder feed management is an important welfare and economic issue for the poultry industry. This project will involve the investigation of alternative feeding strategies for improving the welfare of broiler breeders while maintaining high levels of productivity. The effects of these feeding strategies on growth, behaviour, stress physiology, egg production and hatchability, gastrointestinal morphology, and Salmonella colonization will be studied in experimental and simulated commercial conditions to make science-based recommendations to the poultry industry.
University of Guelph: Guelph is an internationally recognized centre of excellence in the study of animal welfare, with the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014. The Animal Behaviour and Welfare group includes 10 core faculty members, 6 post-doctoral or visiting scholars, and over 35 graduate students from around the world. Working directly in poultry welfare are 3 faculty members and 15 graduate students, with considerable support from and links with the poultry industry.
Qualifications: Applicants must hold or expect to hold (at the time of the start of award) a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in science, with preferred emphasis in animal behaviour and welfare or related fields (animal science, nutrition, veterinary science, biological science). Successful candidates must have strong written and oral communication skills, knowledge of scientific and statistical methods, and experience handling animals.
Candidates must be resourceful, autonomous, and work well as part of a team. Successful candidates must be admissible to the Graduate School of the University of Guelph and Ontario Agricultural College. Selection will be based on academic achievement.
Start date:
The position is available starting September 2014, although students able to start January 2015 will also be considered
To apply:
Interested candidates should send a Statement of Interest, a current Curriculum Vita, and a writing sample to Dr Stephanie Torrey (storrey@uoguelph.ca). For further information, please contact
Dr. Stephanie Torrey
University of Guelph
Department of Animal and Poultry Science
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Canada
Email: storrey@uoguelph.ca Phone (519) 824 4120 x53660 Fax (519) 836 9873
This project will be co-supervised by Dr Tina Widowski (twidowsk@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/. For more information on the behaviour and welfare group at the University of Guelph, visit the group’s website at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/abw/