Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
My research uses animal behaviour as a way to measure animal welfare, or to understand and solve animal welfare problems which involve behaviour.
- Behaviour-related welfare problems in pigs: social aggression, tail biting and mounting, and genetics of animal temperament in relation to these problems.
- Hunger in ration-fed animals (dry sows and broiler breeder chickens). Using behaviour, motivation, neurophysiology and gut physiology to understand, measure and ameliorate the problem.
- Precision livestock farming- collaborating to develop and validate agri-technology such as machine vision cameras and other sensors to monitor behaviour, health and welfare on farm.
- Analysis of how wider drivers and issues impact animal welfare and policy (including trade, regulations, economics and climate change)
Projects
Current
- 2022-2024 BBSRC IPA 'Pig ID: developing a deep learning machine vision system to track pigs using individual biometrics' (£612K)
- 2022-2024 Defra/UKRI Innovate UK 'FarmSense: Ensuring sustainability of pig farming and automated monitoring using machine vision and volatile organic compound sensors' (£1.09M)
- 2022-2027 Scottish Government RESAS PI on 'EU Exit – challenges and opportunities for animal welfare' Co-I on ‘Solutions to improve laying hen welfare’ and ‘Practical on-farm solutions for welfare and sustainability: Innovative on-farm solution to chronic welfare problems’ (£433K)
Previous (selected)
- 2018-2021 Innovate UK ‘TailTech: Developing an early warning system for pig’ tail biting” (£220K)
- 2016-2021 RESAS ‘Strategic research programme RD2.2.8’ (£265K/year)
- 2017-2021 USDA-AFRI ‘Phenomics and Genomics of Behavioral and Growth Traits in Group Housed Pigs’ ($198K)
- 2016-2018 Innovate UK ‘3D Tails: Early detection of tail biting in pigs using 3D video to measure tail posture’ (£201K)
Supervision
- PhD student (2022-2026) 'Exploring the genetic determination of aggressive behaviour in adult femaile pigs to improve human safety and animal welfare' with Edinburgh University and SUISAG Switzerland
- PhD student (2019-2024) ‘Practical diets to improve dry sow welfare: improving satiety and reducing gastric ulcers’ with Edinburgh University
- PhD student (2015-2022 part time) ‘Understanding satiety in broiler breeders during rearing and application to commercial diets’ with Edinburgh University and Aviagen
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Social recognition of flockmates in laying hens, University of Oxford
15 Sept 1993 → 30 Dec 1996
Award Date: 30 Dec 1996
Master, Biological Sciences, University of Oxford
1 Sept 1990 → 30 Jun 1993
Award Date: 30 Jun 1993
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Exploring The Genetic Determination Of Aggressive Behaviour In Adult Female Pigs To Improve Human Safety And Animal Welfare
D'Eath, R. (Supervisor)
1/10/22 → 30/09/26
Project: PhD project
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RESAS 22-27: SRUC-a3-3 Solutions To Improve Laying Hen Welfare.
Sandilands, V. (PI), Lawrence, A. (CoI), Baker, E. (CoI), D'Eath, R. (CoI) & Jessiman, L. (CoI)
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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RESAS 22-27: SRUC-a3-2 Eu Exit ? Challenges And Opportunities For Animal Welfare.
D'Eath, R. (PI), Donbavand, J. (CoI), Lawrence, A. (CoI), Akaichi, F. (CoI), Dwyer, C. (CoI), Wemelsfelder, F. (CoI), Turner, S. (CoI), Haskell, M. (CoI), Baxter, E. (CoI) & Rutherford, K. (CoI)
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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RESAS 22-27: SRUC-a3-5 Practical On-farm Solutions For Welfare And Sustainability: Solutions To Chronic Problems
Haskell, M. (PI), Donbavand, J. (CoI), Dwyer, C. (CoI), D'Eath, R. (CoI), Turner, S. (CoI), Baxter, E. (CoI), Jack, M. (CoI) & Rutherford, K. (CoI)
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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Understanding satiety in broiler breeders during rearing and application to commercial diets
D'Eath, R. (PI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/10/15 → 30/06/25
Project: PhD project
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Changes in tail posture detected by a 3D machine vision system are associated with injury from damaging behaviours and ill health on commercial pig farms
D'Eath, R., Foister, S., Jack, M., Bowers, N., Zhu, Q., Barclay, D. & Baxter, E., Oct 2021, In: PLoS ONE. 16, 10, e0258895.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile15 Citations (Scopus)45 Downloads (Pure) -
The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare: Theory, Evidence and Policy
Vosough Ahmadi, B. (Editor), Moran, D. (Editor) & D'Eath, R. (Editor), 1 Jul 2020, CABI International. 216 p.Research output: Book/Report/Policy Brief/Technical Brief › Book
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Food waste as animal feed
D'Eath, R., Jul 2022, SRUC's Rural Policy Centre. 5 p. (Policy Spotlight; no. 7)Research output: Book/Report/Policy Brief/Technical Brief › Policy Brief
Open AccessFile260 Downloads (Pure) -
Options for farm support payments for animal welfare in Scotland - Policy Spotlight
D'Eath, R., Jun 2022, SRUC's Rural Policy Centre. 5 p. (Policy Spotlight; no. 6)Research output: Book/Report/Policy Brief/Technical Brief › Policy Brief
Open AccessFile155 Downloads (Pure) -
The effects of feed restriction, time of day and time since feeding on behavioral and physiological indicators of hunger in broiler breeder hens
Dixon, L., Dunn, I. C., Brocklehurst, S., Baker, L., Boswell, T., Caughey, S. D., Reid, A. M., Sandilands, V., Wilson, P. W. & D'Eath, R., May 2022, In: Poultry Science. 101, 5, 101838.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile15 Citations (Scopus)34 Downloads (Pure)
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Early detection of tail biting and ill health in pigs using 3D camera technology to monitor tail posture and behaviour
D'Eath, R. (Speaker)
9 Nov 2023Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Large animal automated behaviour scoring using machine vision and 3D cameras
D'Eath, R. (Speaker)
19 Sept 2022Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Artificial Intelligence-based approaches to pre-clinical pain assessment
Lofgren, J. (Chair), Andrews, N. (Organiser), Herskin, M. S. (Member of programme committee), Huang, W. (Member of programme committee), Lascelles, D. (Member of programme committee), Meneses, C. (Member of programme committee), Owoyele, V. (Member of programme committee), Pang, D. (Member of programme committee), Rice, A. (Member of programme committee), Sandercock, D. (Member of programme committee), D'Eath, R. (Participant), Lascelles, D. (Participant), Neely, G. (Participant), Pereira, T. (Participant), Pang, D. (Participant), Scorrano, F. (Participant) & Wu, G. (Participant)
19 Sept 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organising a conference, workshop, ...
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How do we feed breeders for optimum productivity and welfare?
D'Eath, R. (Speaker)
4 Aug 2022Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (External organisation)
D'Eath, R. (Member)
Feb 2019 → Mar 2022Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee
Press/Media
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Tell Tail Signs: imaging technology detects early warning signs of tail biting in pigs
25/08/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
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3D camera technology could help to predict and eliminate tail biting in pigs
7/03/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Scottish Farmers Test Machine Vision to Manage Pig Pugnacity
21/09/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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