Animal Production
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.
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Contact the team
Professor Brian Leury
Deputy Dean and Professor and Reader of Animal Science
Professor Frank Dunshea
Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Chair of Agriculture
Animal production group co-leaders
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Group co-leaders
Group members
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.