Behavioural Engagement of Holstein Friesian Dairy Cattle with Different Mounting Techniques for Salt Licks as Environmental Enrichment (2025)
Journal Article
McLaughlin, D., & Blackie, N. (2025). Behavioural Engagement of Holstein Friesian Dairy Cattle with Different Mounting Techniques for Salt Licks as Environmental Enrichment. Animals, 15(5), 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050701

With increasing numbers of dairy farms adopting zero-grazing systems, there is a growing need for indoor environmental enrichment methods. Enrichment is necessary to meet industry requirements and fulfil behavioural motivations, such as oral manipula... Read More about Behavioural Engagement of Holstein Friesian Dairy Cattle with Different Mounting Techniques for Salt Licks as Environmental Enrichment.

Impact of Lameness on Brush Use in a Loose-Housed Dairy System (2024)
Journal Article
Burton, Y. I., & Blackie, N. (2024). Impact of Lameness on Brush Use in a Loose-Housed Dairy System. Ruminants, 4(3), 375-386. https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants4030027

This study focused on a group of 49 high-yielding dairy cows (primarily Holstein Friesians) and how their interactions with wall-mounted automated brushes correlated to their mobility (also described as lameness) score (AHDB 0–3 system. Of the 49 ani... Read More about Impact of Lameness on Brush Use in a Loose-Housed Dairy System.

Shape change in the saddle region of the equine backduring trot and walk (2024)
Journal Article
Smirnova, K., Frill, M., Warner, S., & Cheney, J. (2024). Shape change in the saddle region of the equine backduring trot and walk. Journal of the Royal Society, Interface, 21(215), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2023.0644

Equine back pain is prevalent among ridden horses and is often attributed to poor saddle fit. An alternative explanation is that saddle fits are technically good but fit to the wrong configuration. Saddles are fit for the standing horse, but much of... Read More about Shape change in the saddle region of the equine backduring trot and walk.

Connected impacts: combining migration tracking data with species distribution models reveals the complex potential impacts of climate change on European Bee-eaters (2024)
Journal Article
Abdul-Wahab, C., Santos Costa, J., D'Mello, F., & Häkkinen, H. (2024). Connected impacts: combining migration tracking data with species distribution models reveals the complex potential impacts of climate change on European Bee-eaters. Journal of Ornithology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02190-z

Climate change is a key driver of biodiversity loss in multiple ecosystems, which can act at multiple stages of a species life and annual cycle. Identifying where, when, and how these impacts may happen is key to understanding, and planning for, the... Read More about Connected impacts: combining migration tracking data with species distribution models reveals the complex potential impacts of climate change on European Bee-eaters.

A Survey of the Current Farming Practices and Perceptions on Adopting Orphan Lambs in the United Kingdom: How Do “Ewe” Do It? (2023)
Journal Article
Whatford, L., Chivers, B. D., Rowe, M., & Blackie, N. (2023). A Survey of the Current Farming Practices and Perceptions on Adopting Orphan Lambs in the United Kingdom: How Do “Ewe” Do It?. Ruminants, 3(4), 468-482. https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants3040038

Fostering orphan lambs is common in the United Kingdom and therefore it is important to understand more about these practices to support sustainable sheep farming. Data were collected on current approaches to adopting lambs and the perceived success... Read More about A Survey of the Current Farming Practices and Perceptions on Adopting Orphan Lambs in the United Kingdom: How Do “Ewe” Do It?.

Survey of current UK alpaca husbandry practices: Vaccination, treatment and supplementation (2023)
Journal Article
Middleton, A., Blackie, N., Crilly, J., & Reilly, B. (2023). Survey of current UK alpaca husbandry practices: Vaccination, treatment and supplementation. Veterinary Record, https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.3602

Background
The popularity of alpacas in the UK is increasing, with the British Alpaca Society (BAS) estimating that there are currently 45,000 registered alpacas and a further 15,000 unregistered alpacas. This research set about to investigate what... Read More about Survey of current UK alpaca husbandry practices: Vaccination, treatment and supplementation.

Comparison of Low- and High-Cost Infrared Thermal Imaging Devices for the Detection of Lameness in Dairy Cattle (2022)
Journal Article
Coe, A., & Blackie, N. (2022). Comparison of Low- and High-Cost Infrared Thermal Imaging Devices for the Detection of Lameness in Dairy Cattle. Veterinary Sciences, https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9080414

Lameness has a high economic cost to the U.K. dairy industry; accurate and early detection of lameness minimises this cost. Infrared thermal imaging (IRT) devices have shown promising results for use as a lameness detection aid in cattle when used in... Read More about Comparison of Low- and High-Cost Infrared Thermal Imaging Devices for the Detection of Lameness in Dairy Cattle.

Student Perceptions of the Introduction of Pig Production, Management, and Health Teaching into the Veterinary Curriculum of a Muslim-Majority Country: A Case Study in Jordan (2022)
Journal Article
Roslan, N., Blackie, N., Slack, D., Abu-Basha, E., Ismail, Z., Guitian, J., & Gibson, T. (2022). Student Perceptions of the Introduction of Pig Production, Management, and Health Teaching into the Veterinary Curriculum of a Muslim-Majority Country: A Case Study in Jordan. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2022-0013

Previously, pig production was not covered in the Jordan University of Science and Technology's (JUST) veterinary curriculum due to Jordan being a predominantly Muslim country, with few graduates practicing outside the Middle East. However, pig produ... Read More about Student Perceptions of the Introduction of Pig Production, Management, and Health Teaching into the Veterinary Curriculum of a Muslim-Majority Country: A Case Study in Jordan.