Zodiac : "Horses don't lay eggs"

Prof. Linda Keeling, Professor in Animal Welfare, Faculty for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden.

‘Horses don’t lay eggs, If basic ethology research helped to improve the welfare of chickens, why is it not contributing to that of horses?’

Co-referee: Dr. Dinand Ekkel, Ethology Group Wageningen UR

The criticism of housing systems for laying hens led to considerable research in this area. The successful collaboration between pure and applied science has resulted in significant improvements in our understanding of poultry welfare and even to changes in legislation. But, despite the widespread interest for horses in society and their large economic impact, there is relatively little research on horse behaviour and almost no research linked to improving their welfare.
Professor Keeling will include in her lecture specific examples from her own research on poultry and horses, plus speculation on why it is that ethologists know more about the humble chicken than about the majestic horse.

Zodiac academic lectures are an initiative of the Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University.
On every first Tuesday of the month, an invited speaker will present a topic related to animal sciences.
Speaker and topic will, and are meant to, provoke discussion among the audience of staff, postdocs, graduate students and guests.
Drinks after the presentation and discussion.