牛眼看世界，一切又何如？

    英國哥倫比亞大學的研究人員正嘗試通過科學方法換位思考，來感受奶牛眼中的真實世界。此項研究的成果不僅能提高生產牛群的福利水平，也為奶牛養殖業注入切實可行的解決方案。土地與食物系統的教員們（LFS）也因此贏得了全世界的廣泛聲譽。

    “牛群們是怎樣睡眠和休息，又是如何飲食和互動，所有的一切都可以通過他們的行動來’說話’，” LFS動物福利項目的Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk副教授如此說道，“通過對它們的行為進行分析，能幫助乳業生產者們更好的飼養牛群從而避免諸如跛行等一些常見疾病的發生。

    不久前，LFS動物福利項目的Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk副教授和Dan Weary、David Fraser兩位教授收到了自然科學和工程研究委員會（NSERC）和8所加拿大乳業生產機構（the Dairy Farmers of Canada; Westgen Endowment Fund; Pfizer Animal Health; Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund; BC Milk Producers Association; BC Dairy Foundation; BC Dairy Education and Research Association; and Alberta Milk.）聯合頒發的100百萬美元IRC獎金。

    研究人員將會把這項五年計劃的獎金用于進一步深入早期關于奶牛一生中關鍵“轉折點”的研究，尤其易患疾病的那幾個生活階段。這些至關重要的階段包括泌乳早期，泌乳晚期，以及犢牛斷奶期。此項研究將會幫助牛奶產業改善管理和重設設施，從而實現乳業生產者和奶牛的雙贏。

    A happy cow is a healthy cow

    What does the world look like to a cow?

    UBC researchers are using science to understand how dairy cattle experience the environments we build for them. As a result, the Faculty of   Land and Food Systems (LFS) has earned a global reputation for advancing calf and cow welfare and practical solutions that work for industry.

    “How dairy cattle eat, sleep, rest and interact speaks volumes about their preferences,” says Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk, an associate professor in the LFS Animal Welfare Program. “By analyzing their behaviour, we can help producers avoid costly problems such as lameness and other common illnesses.”

    Earlier this year, von Keyserlingk and LFS Animal Welfare Professors Dan Weary and David Fraser received a $1 million Industrial Research Chair (IRC) joint award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and eight Canadian dairy farming organizations: the Dairy Farmers of Canada; Westgen Endowment Fund; Pfizer Animal Health; Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund; BC Milk Producers Association; BC Dairy Foundation; BC Dairy Education and Research Association; and Alberta Milk.

    The researchers will use the five-year award to expand previous studies on the key “transitions” in the life of dairy animals, periods when they are especially vulnerable to illness. These critical times include the start of lactation, the end of lactation, and the weaning process for calves. The research will help the dairy industry make improvements in management and facility design that can benefit both the farmers and the cows.

牛百科記者：邱藝婷
來源：UBC Reports | Vol. 55 | No. 7 | July 2, 2009