Richard Blatchford, Ph.D.

Kristina Horback, Ph.D.

​My research focus is on the husbandry, behavior, and welfare of small to large scale poultry production. I am particularly interested in understanding the challenges facing small scale and backyard poultry flocks as well as the impacts of housing systems on poultry health and welfare on large scale facilities. I am also interested in developing on farm assessment tools for producers to monitor the health and welfare of their own flocks.​​
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animalscience.ucdavis.edu/faculty/blatchford

I lead a group that studies personality traits and emotions in animals. We are interested in whether an animal’s ability to cope with stress may impact its health. For example, animals that are anxious during handling or transportation tend to have a weaker immune response and grow slower than calmer animals. We also study the behavior of animals to better understand how they express different emotions, such as pleasure or pain. I teach courses on animal behavior and the ethics of animal use.
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​Horback.faculty.ucdavis.edu

Maja Makagon, Ph.D.

Joy Mench, Ph.D.

My research program focuses on interplay between the behavior, welfare and management of poultry, including ducks, turkeys, laying hens and broilers.  My lab focuses on 3 topic areas:  1) assessing the effects of the physical and social environments on bird behavior, 2) evaluating the relationship between behavior and bone integrity, and 3) developing and validating practical, species-specific welfare assessment measures.  
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makagon.faculty.ucdavis.edu

I retired in 2016 and no longer have an active research program. However, I continue to serve as a consultant to a variety of private and non-governmental organizations to help them develop standards and auditing/training programs for the housing and care of animals, with a focus on poultry.

animalscience.ucdavis.edu/faculty/emeriti/mench

Carly Moody, Ph.D.

Cassandra Tucker, Ph.D.

My research program uses a combination of applied ethology and epidemiology research methods and statistical techniques to study animal welfare. Broadly I am interested in improving the quality of human-animal interactions with the overall aim of improving animal welfare. I am also interested in studying strategies for mitigating social agonism in socially housed animals. While I am interested in asking these questions in a variety of animal species and settings, my program is focused on companion animals. I am currently examining methodologies for overcoming barriers for accessing high quality health and behavior care for cats, and strategies for reducing stress during veterinary clinic visits.

https://moody.faculty.ucdavis.edu

I lead a team focused on cattle behavior and welfare. Our research aims to understand the effects of housing and management systems from the animal's perspective. I also work as a consultant to help private and non-governmental organizations develop animal care standards as well as training and auditing programs. Through these activities, scientific information informs the day-to-day lives of cattle and the people that care for them. I teach courses about domestic animal behavior and animal welfare at UC Davis. 

I am the Director of the Center for Animal Welfare.
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tuckerlab.ucdavis.edu

Jason Watters, Ph.D.

I have fashioned a “non-traditional” i.e. non-academia based career in the zoo and aquarium world. I lead the animal behavior, animal welfare and conservation research programs at the San Francisco Zoological Society. We study animal personality, behavioral indicators of welfare, and many other topics. We invent and test new environmental and cognitive enrichment items for animals. We also study the zoo-goer’s perspective to understand how they perceive animal welfare and how animal behavior supports the development of their conservation conscience. We serve a clinical function and assess specific concerns related to the welfare or behavior of the Zoo’s animals. 

animalscience.ucdavis.edu/faculty/watters