Mission: “To enhance the rural economy
and environment.”
 Partnership with University of Edinburgh
and University of Glasgow
 Center for rural policy, teaching,
research, and consulting
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Ayr
Aberdeen
Edinburgh
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1,013 hectares (2,500
acres)
1,100 Hill ewes, 700
upland ewes, 200
suckler cows, 120
sows with finishing
capabilities
Also contains arable
cropland and
woodlands
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2,200 hectares (5,436
acres)
Livestock focus: Hill
sheep
Also contains native
woodlands, lowland
and hill paths
18 Strathfillan
Wigwams
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Facilities for:
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Breeding
Laying
Hatching
Growing
Processing
Investigating ways of
fulfilling the Five
Freedoms while
maintaining
commercially viable
systems
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252 hectares (622
acres)
Innovative and
ahead of times
› 1907 milking
machine
› 1925 silo erected to
store silage
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Home of dairy
research at SAC
Food Supply Chains
 Environmental Management
 Animal Health
 Animal Welfare
 Agricultural Systems
 Rural Policy
 Whole systems/multidisciplinary
approach to agricultural research
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Common interest:
› Understanding behavioral development in animals
› Developing ‘scientifically valid, practical and reliable
methods of welfare assessment.’
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Accomplish this by:
› Improving the understanding of the biological basis
of animal welfare
› Developing genetic or management solutions to
welfare problems
› Creating scientifically valid and practical methods of
assessing animal welfare
› Developing approaches to integrate animal welfare
with other issues or concerns
Genetically improving adaptations of
animals to production environments
 Maternal behavior and its impact on the
later welfare of offspring
 Genetics of animal aggression
 Development of welfare assessments
 Welfare of dairy cows in organic and
non-organic production systems
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Professor Alistair Lawrence
 Dr. Rick D-Eath
 Dr. Francoise Wemelsfelder
 Dr. Simon Turner
 Dr. Marie Haskell
 Dr. Colin Morgan
 Dr. Christine Moinard
 Dr. Kenny Rutherford
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Dr. Fritha Langford
 Dr. Malcolm Mitchell
 Dr. Susan Jarvis
 Dr. Cathy Dwyer
 Dr. Emma Baxter
 Dr. Victoria Sandilands
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Professor Alistair Lawrence
 Dr. Marie Haskell
 Dr. Cathy Dwyer
 Dr. Malcolm Mitchell
 Dr. Francoise Wemelsfelder
 Dr. Victoria Sandilands
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Head of Animal
Behaviour and
Welfare Team
Welfare Interest:
› Implication of
stereotypic
behavior
› Impact of intensive
farming on welfare
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Research Interests:
› Animal motivation, cognition and learning
› Use of behavioral temperament to assess
welfare on farms
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Recent Projects:
› Effect of continuous housing on cow health and
behavior
› Welfare of organic vs. non-organic dairy cows
› Effects of dairy cattle breeding patterns on cow
temperament
› Feed-barrier design and dairy cow behavior
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Research Interests:
› Maternal behavior
› Off-spring development
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Recent Projects:
› Consequences of a difficult birth for the
health and welfare of cattle and sheep
› Impact of early nutrition on behavioral
development and stress in sheep
› Potential of selectively breeding for
improved lamb vigor
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Research Interests:
› Animal stress
› Transportation
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Helped define ranges
and limits for common
stressors experienced
during transportation
and day to day life
Advises Defra and
others on concerns
related to animal
transportation
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Interested in animals
as “sentient beings”
Developed
Qualitative Behavior
Assessment (QBA) for
study of subjective
experience in
animals
Also involved in
social science
research
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Research Interests:
› Poultry welfare and
production
› Housing and
management of
poultry in a manner
sensitive to birds yet
sustainable in UK
agriculture
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council (BBSRC)
 Department for Environment, Food, and
Rural Affairs
 Scottish Government
 European Union
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Offers consulting services in:
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Farm business
Veterinary
Environmental
Diversification
Much, much more
>375 consultants, technicians, and support
staff
 24 offices
 8 veterinary disease surveillance centers
 >12,000 customers worldwide
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BBSRC:bioscience for the future. Web. 2 April 2010.
<http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/home/home.aspx>
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Defra:Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Web. 2 April 2010.
<http://www.defra.gov.uk>
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Dollars 2 Pounds. 4 April 2010. Web. 4 April 2010. <http://www.dollars2pounds.com>
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“Francoise Wemelsfelder.” Schumacher College. Web. 2 April 2010.
<http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/teachers/francoise-wemelsfelder>
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“Hectares to Acres Conversion.” Metric-Conversions.org. 3 Feb. 2010. Web. 4 April 2010.
<http://www.metric-conversions.org/area/hectares-to-acres.htm?arg=220>
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Scottish Agricultural College, 21 Sept. 2009. Web 2 Apr. 2010 <http://www.sac.ac.uk>
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Wigwam Holidays®. www.WigwamHolidays.org. Web. 2 April 2010.
<http://www.wigwamholidays.com/Strathfillan_Wigwam_Village>