Department of Veterinary Medicine

Research in Veterinary Medicine

Other relevant links

• http://www.caths.cam.ac.uk/fellows/broom-dm.html

Research description

A significant contribution to animal welfare research has concerned the definition and clarification of the major concepts used in this area of science. Many studies have also contributed to knowledge about methods for the scientific assessment of animal welfare. These have been practically applied to the management, housing and transport of farm animals, especially cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and fish in relation to their welfare.

Sets of papers have been published on the housing of calves, dairy cows, dry sows, farrowing sows, laying hens and broiler chickens and on the transport of pigs and sheep. These have been used when legislation has been changed. Also in the Centre for Animal Welfare and Anthrozoology there are studies of pet animal, zoo animal and laboratory animal housing and management as well as olfactory discrimination, communication, learning, cognition, behaviour problems in pets and the effects of pets on their owners.

Recent work has included the demonstration of levels of hock-burn in broilers. The Eureka effect and other evidence of awareness have been described in cattle, sheep, pigs and dogs. The extent of poor welfare associated with clinical disease has been assessed in cattle and sheep and new methods of determining strength of preference developed.

Main collaborators

• Professor M. Paranhos da Costa, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
• Professors Zulkifli Idrus and Zainal Aznam, UPM, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Dr I.L. Anderson, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
• Dr G. Stilwell, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
• Dr T.C. Carter, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

Key publications since 2001

• Broom, D.M. and Fraser, A.F. 2007. Domestic Animal Behaviour and Welfare. 4th Edition. Wallingford: CABI.
• Broom, D.M. 2007. Causes of poor welfare and welfare assessment during handling and transport. In Livestock Handling and Transport, 3rd Edition, (Ed). T. Grandin, 30-43. Wallingford: CABI.
• Broom, D.M. 2007. Cognitive ability and sentience: which aquatic animals should be protected? Dis. Aquat. Org., 75, 99-108
• Broom, D.M. 2006. Behaviour and welfare in relation to pathology. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 97. 71-83.
• Broom, D.M. and Reefmann, N. 2005. Chicken welfare as indicated by lesions on carcases in supermarkets. Br. Poult. Sci., 46, 407-414.
• Hagen, K. and Broom, D.M. 2004 Emotional reactions to learning in cattle. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 85, 203-213.
• Broom, D.M. 2003. The Evolution of Morality and Religion (pp. 259). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Kirkden, R.D., Edwards, J.S.S. and Broom, D.M. 2003. A theoretical comparison of the consumer surplus and the elasticities of demand as measures of motivational strength. Anim. Behav., 65, 157-178.
• Bradshaw, R.H., Kirkden, R.D. and Broom, D.M. 2002. A review of the aetiology and pathology of leg weakness in broilers in relation to their welfare. Avian Poult. Biol. Rev. 13, 45-103.
• Broom, D.M. (Editor). 2001. Coping with Challenge: Welfare in Animals including Humans (pp.364). Berlin: Dahlem University Press.