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Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences

Animal Production

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The Animal Production research group has internationally recognised expertise in production animal nutrition, physiology and management.

The group has a unique skillset covering a broad range of applied and fundamental research skills in a range of species including pigs, poultry, dairy cattle, sheep, beef cattle and goats. By integrating all aspects of animal production including genetics, physiology, growth, nutrition, metabolism, environment, management and reproduction, the animal production research group provides high quality research with a large impact for both scientists and commercial enterprises.

Our research ranges from improving animal efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock to understanding the underlying mechanisms that reduce meat quality in sheep. Our research is also applicable in biomedical trials, using animals as models for products targeting humans.

Our research team is continually focused on integrating fundamental physiology and biology with applied commercial outcomes. The animal production research team members are experienced and passionate public speakers, regularly presenting their work to industry bodies, academic conferences and mainstream media.

News and events

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Contact the team

    Animal production group co-leaders

  1. Professor Brian Leury

    Deputy Dean and Professor and Reader of Animal Science

    • brianjl@unimelb.edu.au
    • +613 8344 6341
  2. Professor Frank Dunshea

    Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Chair of Agriculture

    • fdunshea@unimelb.edu.au
    • +613 8344 7124

The Animal Production research group has a unique skillset covering a broad range of applied and fundamental research skills in a range of species including pigs, poultry, dairy cattle, sheep, beef cattle and goats.

Our specific areas of research include:

  • Understanding the physiology of heat stress and developing methods to mitigate such negative effects
  • Assessment of novel nutritional supplements to modify animal production
  • Insects as an alternate protein source
  • Interpretation of metabolic and hormonal responses to nutritional and environmental challenges
  • Robotic dairy cattle production systems
  • Understanding fundamental metabolic pathways of efficiency and nutrient partitioning
  • Investigating the role of the gut in animal health and production
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Development of novel food products
  • Maintaining product quality and consumer health
  • Use of in vitro models to assess ruminant feed quality
  • Using genetic markers to select for thermal tolerance
  • Development of innovative tools to assess and improve meat quality
  • Methods to increase the value of feed grains
  • Use of animals as a model of metabolic syndrome
  • Employing DXA technology to measure tissue deposition in farm animals
  • The use of novel technologies to monitor animal production, health and growth.
  • In vitro characterisation of ruminant feeds and supplements

    We have established many valuable collaborations with other university-based research teams nationally and internationally, allowing us to offer services and capabilities in the form of a Wildlife Health Toolkit, which can be used to tackle any wildlife health issue.

  • In vivo assessment of feed supplements in production animals (dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry)

    We have established many valuable collaborations with other university-based research teams nationally and internationally, allowing us to offer services and capabilities in the form of a Wildlife Health Toolkit, which can be used to tackle any wildlife health issue.

  • Climate controlled production animal studies

    We have established many valuable collaborations with other university-based research teams nationally and internationally, allowing us to offer services and capabilities in the form of a Wildlife Health Toolkit, which can be used to tackle any wildlife health issue.

  • Rumen metagenomics and enteric methane emission reduction

    We have established many valuable collaborations with other university-based research teams nationally and internationally, allowing us to offer services and capabilities in the form of a Wildlife Health Toolkit, which can be used to tackle any wildlife health issue.

Our researchers.

Our people

    Group co-leaders

  1. Professor Brian Leury

    Deputy Dean and Professor and Reader of Animal Science

    Brian Leury has extensive experience in the areas of ruminant nutritional physiology, growth and development of production animals, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from grazing animals, improving adaptation of livestock to a changing environment (with a focus on heat stress) and improving the efficiency of livestock production systems.

    • Find an Expert profile
    • brianjl@unimelb.edu.au
  2. Professor Frank Dunshea

    Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Chair of Agriculture

    Frank Dunshea has over 35 years’ experience in farm animal and biomedical research, with expertise in pork production industries, improving production animal efficiency, regulation of growth and development in production animals, animal and human nutrition, the impact of heat stress on the production and welfare of farm animals as well as food science and the development of novel food products.

    • Find an Expert profile
    • fdunshea@unimelb.edu.au
  3. Group members

  4. Dr Kristy DiGiacomo

    Senior Lecturer in Production Animal Science and veski Sustainable Agriculture Fellow

    Kristy DiGiacomo’s research focuses on livestock (particularly ruminant) nutrition, metabolism, physiology and adaptation to the external environment; the use of nutritional supplements to improve animal efficiency; alternate protein feeds in animal nutrition and the use of insects in production animal feed.

    • Find an Expert profile
    • kristyd@unimelb.edu.au
  5. Dr Surinder Chauhan

    Senior Lecturer in Livestock Genetics and Genomics

    As an animal scientist with a background in veterinary and meat sciences, Surinder Chauhan’s research involves improving and promoting sustainable and efficient livestock production systems; mitigating and developing strategies to manage animal responses to heat stress and understanding the genetic, molecular and biochemical basis of meat quality.

    • Find an Expert profile
    • ss.chauhan@unimelb.edu.au
  6. Dr Jeremy Cottrell

    Senior Lecturer in Livestock Science

    Jeremy Cottrell’s research interests focus on altered physiological states and how they translate to animal production and product quality. In particular, Dr Cottrell is interested in factors that compromise the gastrointestinal tract, developmental effects that compromise the formation and growth of skeletal muscle and the ramifications of increased environmental temperatures on livestock.

    • Find an Expert profile
    • jcottrell@unimelb.edu.au

The Animal Production research group excels in combining their expertise in animal genetics, physiology, growth, metabolism, nutrition and health to improve production animal efficiency.

Our research spans all production animal species including sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry. Our main research focus is understanding the drivers that underpin production efficiency to improve animal performance.

Current research projects

  • Transfer of mitigation technologies for heat stress in farm animals

    Researchers from the University of Melbourne and ICAR National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, India are collaborating to exchange knowledge and ideas on the mitigation of heat stress in farm animals (cattle, sheep, goat, and pigs).

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Food upcycling: using human food waste as a nutrient source to produce a novel insect-derived protein source for production animals

    In conjunction with Hatch Biosystems, this project will investigate rearing insect (Black Soldier Fly Larvae) protein on redirected food waste to produce an alternate feed protein source for production animals.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Biomarkers for gut health

    This project investigates strategies to ameliorate oxidate stress in the gastrointestinal tract of production animals.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Heat tolerance (HT) in lactating sows: dietary strategies, metabolic biomarkers and microbiome signature

    This project investigates the effects of heat stress on the lactating sow and amelioration strategies.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Effect of phytase on ileal digestibility of amino acids

    This project investigates the improvements in new generation of phytase enzymes in pigs.

    28 Jan 2021 Project

Completed projects

  • Phenotyping of low and high RFI dairy cattle

    This project aimed to understand the physiological mechanisms underpinning decreased (improved) residual feed intake (RFI) in dairy cattle.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Hot and bothered! Long term impacts of late pregnancy heat stress on sows and progeny

    This project investigated the effects of increased environmental temperatures on sow farrowing and subsequent cognitive function of neonatal piglets.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Nutritional strategies to ameliorate heat stress in pigs

    This project investigated the roles of anti-oxidants, phytochemicals and ions in the amelioration of the impacts of heat stress in pigs, with a focus on gastrointestinal barrier function.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Understanding and reducing the seasonal infertility in sows

    This project investigated the biological basis of seasonality on body composition in pigs.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
  • Optimising the progeny of first-litter sows in the Australian herd

    This project sought to understand why the progeny from first parity sows perform more poorly than those from later parity sows and investigate amelioration strategies.

    28 Jan 2021 Project
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