Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
As a behavioural scientist, I study behaviour as a way of measuring Animal Welfare, and to understand and solve welfare problems which involve behaviour in captive animals, particularly farmed livestock.
My research interests include:
1) Behavioural problems in pig groups: particularly
- Social aggression (fighting and bullying), where I have long-standing collaboration with SRUC colleague Dr Simon Turner, looking for genetic and management solutions and seeking to understand how pigs assess each other during fights.
- Tail biting. Identifying practical means to predict, detect and prevent tail biting on farm.
2) The problem of hunger in feed-restricted broiler breeders and dry (lactating) sows. These animals have high growth potential but must be rationed to be healthy adults. Can we find diets which restrict energy to ensure good health without chronic hunger?
3) The use of technology to improve management and welfare by monitoring behaviour on-farm. Developing machine-vision approaches based on video technology to automate behaviour recording. Current work involves collaborating with agri-tech and pig supply chain companies to use 3D cameras to measure tail posture in pigs to develop an early warning system for tail biting (TailTech project)
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, University of Oxford
15 Sep 1993 → 30 Dec 1996
Award Date: 30 Dec 1996
Master, University of Oxford
1 Sep 1990 → 30 Jun 1993
Award Date: 30 Jun 1993
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Projects
Understanding satiety in broiler breeders during rearing and application to commercial diets
1/10/15 → 31/07/21
Project: Research
RESAS Strategic Research Programme 2016-21 WP2.3 Productive and sustainable land management
Wall, E., Smith, S., Nicoll, L., Parker, J., Robertson, D., Davidson, R., Donbavand, J., Anderson, C., Roehe, R., Harrison, B., Purcell, L., Duthie, C., Gunn, G., Pritchard, T., Jones, S., Bagnall, A., Vosough Ahmadi, B., Archibald, I., Rees, B., Eory, V., Glenk, K., Edwards, T., Buckingham, S., March, M., Broadbent, C., Cloy, J., Hargreaves, P., Wishart, H., Griffiths, B., Fox, N., Sparks, N., Shrestha, S., Banos, G., Henry, M., Watson, C., Dickinson, J., Topp, K., Burnett, F., Kyle, J., Denholm, S., Dewhurst, R., Lawson, D., McCubbin, I., Dwyer, C., Holland, J., McCracken, D., Barratt, A., Havis, N., Stanisz-Migal, M., Miller, G., Bowen, J., Hutchings, M., Creissen, H., D'Eath, R., Baddeley, J., Houdijk, J., Coffey, M., Morgan-Davies, C., Walker, R., Turner, S., Haskell, M., Barnes, A., Athanasiadou, S., Cole, L., Sandilands, V., McLaren, A., MacLeod, M. & Smith, L.
1/04/19 → 31/03/20
Project: Research
Phenomics and genomics of behavioural and growth traits in group-housed pigs
Turner, S., Roehe, R., Camerlink, I. & D'Eath, R.
1/04/17 → 30/04/20
Project: Research
IRELAND: Strategies to reduce the risk of tail biting in pigs managed on slatted floors
1/09/15 → 1/09/19
Project: Research
Research Output
Rearing undocked pigs on fully slatted floors using multiple types and variations of enrichment
Chou, J-Y., Drique, C. M. V., Sandercock, D. A., D'Eath, R. B. & O'Driscoll, K., 2 Apr 2019, In : Animals. 9, 4, 139.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
File
3
Citations
(Scopus)
4
Downloads
(Pure)
Using technology to improve animal welfare: 3D cameras can detect lowered tail posture and give early warning of tailbiting in pigs
D'Eath, RB., Jack, MC., Futro, A., Talbot, D., Zhu, Q., Barclay, D. & Baxter, EM., Jun 2018, p. 52. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract
Early intervention with enrichment can prevent tail biting outbreaks in weaner pigs
Lahrmann, HP., Hansen, CF., D'Eath, RB., Busch, ME., Nielsen, JP. & Forkman, B., 23 Jun 2018, In : Livestock Science. 214, p. 272 - 277 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
File
15
Citations
(Scopus)
41
Downloads
(Pure)
Cost-benefit analysis: tail-biting
D'Eath, RB., 12 Mar 2020, Pigs: Welfare in Practice. Camerlink, I. (ed.). Sheffield, UK: 5m Publishing, p. 30 - 33Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
Enrichment use in finishing pigs and its relationship with damaging behaviours: comparing three wood species and a rubber floor toy
Chou, JYC., D'Eath, RB., Sandercock, DA. & O'Driscoll, K., Mar 2020, In : Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 224, 104944.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Activities
- 3 Invited talk
3D Tails and TailTech: developing an early warning system for pig tail biting
Rick D'Eath (Speaker)
7 Mar 2019
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
3D technology and animal welfare
Emma Baxter (Invited speaker) & Rick D'Eath (Speaker)
10 Apr 2019
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
3D Tails / TailTech
Rick D'Eath (Speaker)
28 Nov 2018
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
Press / Media
Tell Tail Signs: imaging technology detects early warning signs of tail biting in pigs
25/08/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
3D camera technology could help to predict and eliminate tail biting in pigs
7/03/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
Scottish Farmers Test Machine Vision to Manage Pig Pugnacity
21/09/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media