Essay Prizes
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
2009
- Karen Smith, Reducing the Incidence of Tail-biting in Weaned Pigs
- Monika Ling, Can Changes in Housing Conditions Reduce the Incidence of Feather-pecking in Laying Hens?
2008
- Liisa Poyer, The Welfare Benefits of Loose-farrowing Systems
- Matilda Craig, Feather Pecking in Laying Hens: Causes and Solutions
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