Sarah Chaplin
Position: |
Lecturer (Dairy Science) |
Address: |
LFR, Dookie campus, University of Melbourne, Dookie, 3647 |
Phone: |
+61-3-5833-9286 |
Fax: |
+61-3-5833-9201 |
Email: |
schaplin@unimelb.edu.au |
Teaching:
Animal science, management and production subjects, especially dairy, and applied animal behaviour and welfare.
Research:
Dairy cow welfare: how does our management of dairy cows affect their health and behaviour?
Other professional interests:
I have strong links with the Animal Welfare Centre, and am also interested in mastitis and lameness in dairy cows. I am the Federal Secretary of the Australian Society of Animal Production and the Dookie representative on LFR's Animal Ethics Experimentation Sub-Committee. I am also a member of the International Society for Applied Ethology and the Australian Grassland Society.
Recent projects and consultancies:
A grazing trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a grazing strategy that exploits the diurnal variation in cows' preferences for ryegrass and clover. Also interrogation of the InCalf database to explore cow factors that affect oestrous detection and false positive insemination rate.
Currently, co-supervisor of a PhD student investigating whether increased farm size, in terms of either area or number of cows, affects dairy cows' resting or grazing behaviour. This PhD project is part of a larger project investigating public attitudes towards animal welfare and the effect of intensification on behaviour in dairy cows and layer hens. Also supervisor of a Masters student investigating the effect of shorter milking times on milk flow characteristics.
Recent publications:
- Chaplin SJ (2000). PhD Thesis: Resting behaviour of dairy cows - applications to welfare and farm assurance. University of Glasgow.
- Chaplin SJ & Munksgaard L (2000). Evaluation of a simple method for assessment of rising behaviour in tethered dairy cows. Animal Science 72, 191-197.
- Chaplin SJ, Ternent HE, Offer JE, Logue DN & Knight CH (2000). A comparison of hoof lesions and behaviour in pregnant and early lactation heifers at housing. The Veterinary Journal 159, 147-153.
- Chaplin SJ, Tierney G, Stockwell C, Logue DN & Kelly M (2000). An evaluation of mats and mattresses in two dairy units. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 66, 263-272.
- Hirst WM, Le Fevre AM, Logue DN, Offer JE, Chaplin SJ, Murray RD, Ward WR, French NP (2001). Systematic review of lameness in cattle.
Potential Honours projects:
There are many potential projects focussing on animal welfare and behaviour, in collaboration with the Animal Welfare Centre. It is also possible to do projects investigating the effects of management (for example, housing, nutrition, handling) on behaviour, health and performance of all classes of livestock.