Animal Behavior Research
Understanding the relationships among animal behavior, physiology, productivity, and affective state can enhance livestock management practices that promote good welfare and contribute to the long-term sustainability of food production.
Most of the animal welfare research at Texas A&M is interdisciplinary. It can be considered “applied ethology,” where the behavior of animals under people’s control is evaluated and then linked to some aspect of production efficiency, stress, temperament, or welfare. Many projects involve the use of relational databases, sensor technology, and human-animal interactions. Research projects have evaluated animal behavior and welfare paradigms for beef cattle, dairy cattle, kenneled dogs, and broiler breeder birds.
A graduate program is available in animal behavior and welfare, and undergraduate students interested in animal behavior have multiple opportunities to become involved in behavior and welfare research. Students will learn how to conduct ethological research and use technology to use behavior objectively and efficiently as a management tool and proxy for individual animal welfare.
Learn More About all Animal Science Research
Currently, the Department of Animal Science is researching a variety of projects that cover issues such as animal genomics, meat science, food safety, as well as projects focusing on the major livestock species in Texas. Our research programs focus on applied science, which has an immediate application to Texas animal agriculture, and basic science, which provides the foundation for scientific information to impact further research discoveries.