In 2004, RSPCA Australia established two perpetual prizes for the best essays on poultry and pig welfare science for students studying veterinary science or animal and veterinary bioscience at the University of Sydney.

As part of their coursework in animal behaviour and animal welfare science, every student is required to submit an essay for assessment . The challenge is to describe animal welfare science developments (for any single species) that have been published in the previous 12 months.

The RSPCA is delighted to have this opportunity to encourage students to examine recent developments in farm animal welfare science with the aim of enhancing the welfare of pigs and poultry.

You can read the prize-winning essays on the University of Sydney Veterinary Information Portal (VIP) website.

Essay prizewinners:

2007

Lawrence Baker
Welfare-enhanced stockmanship and feeding systems for group-housed gestating sows

Philippa Crowter
Feather pecking in layer hens

2006

Briar Morton
Improving the housing of laying hens to enhance welfare

Catherine Moss
Harmful social behaviours in pigs - is environmental enrichment the solution?

2005

Sally-Anne Debney
Minimising aggressive behaviour between pigs confined in intensive production systems

Anne Scheving
Intensive housing of laying hens: a welfare issue