Kyabram vet, Dixie dairy farmer, university student and now Nuffield Scholar — Lucy Collins has a lot on her plate.
The multifaceted dairy cow enthusiast said she was honoured and humbled to receive a 2021 Nuffield Scholarship.
“I’ve known about the Nuffield Scholarships since I was a child,” Dr Collins said.
“Growing up in South Gippsland my first poddy calf was given to me by a Nuffield Scholar and he was really well respected in the community.”
With the help of the scholarship's global study program and $30,000 bursary, Dr Collins will investigate the value of introducing animal welfare benchmarking on dairy farms.
“My university studies are centred on animal welfare as well but they are more about the public’s perceptions of welfare and education,” she said.
“The scholarship will complement those studies, and vice versa.”
The aim of the scholarship is to identify the best dairy farm welfare methods globally and help farmers achieve high standards.
Key welfare issues include calf rearing and bobby calf management, debudding and pain relief, calving induction and lame cows.
“The idea is to help farmers see where they are at risk of not meeting industry standards, helping them compare between themselves, and letting them see the average welfare standard in their region,” Dr Collins said.
She will also look at marketing opportunities in the ethical and high welfare space for Australian dairy products.
“Animal welfare forms a huge part of the debate around our industry’s social sustainability.”
As a vet in northern Victoria, Dr Collins performs many welfare checks on dairy farms.
The increase in welfare check requests over time was what got her thinking about animal welfare policies in the industry.
“I felt we were seeing a push as vets on dairy farms to provide welfare checks and increase oversight,” she said.
“Most of these checks are requested by a farmer’s processor and involve the vet highlighting what a farmer is doing well and what they could improve in.
“To ensure future profitability and viability, our industry needs to be both proactive and progressive in this space.
“It is imperative we continue to strive towards more ethical practices that will foster and maintain confidence among Australian consumers and overseas markets.”
Dr Collins will investigate and assess welfare practices and assurance schemes in the United Kingdom, European Union, United States and Canada.
Lucy Collins is a columnist for Dairy News Australia.