Dr Raf Freire

Biography

Raf coordinates the subjects VSC112 Animal Behaviour and Welfare, ASC225 Assessment of Animal Welfare and ASC525 Domestic Animal Behaviour. Raf spent five years as a post-doctoral researcher at the Veterinary School at Bristol University before spending two years with the USDA's Animal Research Services in Indiana. He took up a research, then lectureship position at UNE Armidale in 2003. Raf's principle research interest is in the behaviour and welfare of poultry (he discovered the use of a magnetic compass in domestic chickens in 2005) and he has published over 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals, but more broadly has interests in animal behaviour and welfare across all domestic species.

Research Interest

I have a broad interest in animal behaviour and welfare of domestic animals, having studied a wide range of animals- mice, chickens, sheep, horses- in a wide range of environments. My focus has been on understanding complex behavioural systems, such as cognition, pain behaviour, abnormal behaviour and behavioural needs and assessing the impact of husbandry practices on animal welfare.