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
Master, University of Oxford
1 Sep 1990 → 30 Jun 1993
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Projects 2015 2021
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., Krzyzelewski, T., Toma, L., Lawrence, A., Mitchell, M., 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., Wemelsfelder, F., McCracken, D., Barratt, A., Havis, N., Stanisz-Migal, M., Miller, G., Bowen, J., Hutchings, M., Creissen, H., D'Eath, R., Baddeley, J., Houdijk, J., Vigors, B., Ferguson, H., Coffey, M., Stephen, K., Morgan-Davies, C., Walker, R., Turner, S., Haskell, M., Farish, M., Barnes, A., Athanasiadou, S., Cole, L., Sandilands, V., McLaren, A., MacLeod, M., Smith, L. & Jack, M.
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 → 31/12/19
Project: Research
Understanding satiety in broiler breeders during rearing and application to commercial diets
1/10/15 → 31/03/20
Project: Research
Research Output 1996 2019
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
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
Animal personality in the management and welfare of pigs
O'Malley, C., Turner, SP., D'Eath, RB., Steibel, J., Bates, R., Ernst, C. & Siegford, J., Sep 2019, In : Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 218, 104821.Research output: Contribution to journal › Literature review
Behaviour of isolated piglets before and after tooth clipping, grinding or sham-grinding
Sinclair, A. RL., Tallet, C., Renouard, A., Brunton, P. J., D'Eath, R. B., Sandercock, DA. & Prunier, A., 15 Apr 2019, (Accepted/In press). 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract
Activities 2018 2019
- 3 Invited talk
3D technology and animal welfare
Emma Baxter (Invited speaker), Rick D'Eath (Speaker)Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
3D Tails and TailTech: developing an early warning system for pig tail biting
Rick D'Eath (Speaker)Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
3D Tails / TailTech
Rick D'Eath (Speaker)Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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