The focus in animal welfare under human care has changed from merely minimizing suffering to also promoting positive experiences and a good life. Behavioral, physiological and cognitive research provide insight into positive affective states (emotions and moods) in animals and supports the notion of positive welfare. To improve the lives of farm animals, we need to understand what positive experiences in animals are and how they can be recognized on farm. This includes gathering required knowledge for the construct  validation of behavioral and physiologic indicators, and investigate whether potential indicators occur in preferred and valued situations.

The PhD candidate enrolled in this Research Topic will carry out a series of experiments aimed at characterizing and validating a few putative physiologic biomarkers of animals’ mental states in growing cattle belonging to dairy breeds. The focus of the project will be on the young growing animals, as one of the aspects that need a thorough exploration is the impact of the environment on the animal development (e.g.: improvement in social skills, coping abilities in novel situations, cognitive functions, and reproductive efficiency). The experiences will span from learning and applying techniques to study the animal behavior (e.g.: production and analyses of videos, direct behavioral observations), and the exploitation of physiologic (e.g.: infrared thermography – IRT) and endocrine biomarkers (e.g.: oxytocin, neurotrophins).

Five publications related to the Research Topic for the candidate interview:

1. Keeling LJ, Winckler C, Hintze S and Forkman B (2021) Towards a Positive Welfare Protocol for Cattle: A Critical Review of Indicators and Suggestion of How We Might Proceed. Front. Anim. Sci. 2:753080. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2021.753080
2. Coria-Avila, G.A.; Pfaus, J.G.; Orihuela, A.; Domínguez-Oliva, A.; José-Pérez, N.; Hernández, L.A.; Mota-Rojas, D. The Neurobiology of Behavior and Its Applicability for Animal Welfare: A Review. Animals 2022, 12, 928. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070928
3. Uddin, J., McNeill, D.M. & Phillips, C.J.C. Infrared thermography as a tool for the measurement of negative emotions in dairy cows. Int J Biometeorol 67, 219–231 (2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-022-02410-2
4. Favole, A.; Testori, C.; Bergagna, S.; Gennero, M.S.; Ingravalle, F.; Costa, B.; Barresi, S.; Curti, P.; Barberis, F.; Ganio, S.; et al. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Kynurenine Pathway, and Lipid-Profiling Alterations as Potential Animal Welfare Indicators in Dairy Cattle. Animals 2023, 13, 1167. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071167
5. Chen S, Sato S. Role of oxytocin in improving the welfare of farm animals — A review. Anim Biosci 2017;30(4):449-454. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.15.1058

Tutor: Prof. Gianfranco Gabai
mail: gianfranco.gabai@unipd.it