Is cattle behaviour a clue to their health? A U of S research project aims to find out

Beef cattle in pasture near Longview, Alberta on Sept. 17, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Larry MacDougal)

SASKATOON -

Western College of Veterinary Medicine assistant professor Diego Moya will evaluate the use of beef cattle temperament as an on-farm indicator of disease susceptibility after receiving a federal grant.

The $152,500 project will characterize cattle behaviour, such as aggressiveness or fear, and its link to negative health and welfare outcomes, according to a University of Saskatchewan news release.

The results are hoped to help farmers manage high-risk cattle and reduce antimicrobial drug use, cattle illnesses and deaths.

The research is one of 32 U of S projects to receive a total $5.7 million from Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s Discovery Grants Program.

Other notable projects include:

• Detecting effects of insecticides on migratory birds - $275,000. Biology professor Christy Morrissey will explore the connection between stable bird populations and communities and exposure to toxic insecticides through ingestion of treated seeds or granules, sprayed soils or contaminated prey and water. Her goal is to find out whether insecticides are playing a disproportionate role in the decline of birds in North America, provide new insight into the root causes of global declines, and pinpoint viable solutions that can aid conservation efforts.
• Genetic variability and range dynamics of the American dog tick - $235,000. Neil Chilton will examine how genetic variation and species interactions influence the distribution and abundance of the American dog tick, a parasite that is expanding its range northwards and westwards in Saskatchewan and transmits the bacterium that causes bovine anaplasmosis.
• Improving software quality by managing technical debt - $132,500. Computer science researcher Zadia Codabux is investigating the root causes of technical debt - trade-offs made during software development for short-term benefits such as the expedient release of the software, but which can have disastrous long-term consequences such as increased defects and security vulnerabilities. This research will contribute to more sustainable decision-making during software development.