FARMER WELL-BEING RESEARCH PROJECTS
Want to hear more about our on-going research and how you can be involved?
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We are conducting a research project looking at dairy farmers' health and well-being, animal health, farm management, technology, and automation.
Our industry partners include:
BC Dairy, Alberta Milk, Sask Milk, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, and Dairy Farmers of Ontario.
We are also funded by Mitacs.
Our collaborators are:
Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton, Dr. Briana Hagen, Dr. Charlotte Winder (University of Guelph), Dr. Kees Plaizier, Dr. Jolene Kinley, Dr. Michael Campbell (University of Manitoba), Dr. Ed Pajor (University of Calgary), and Heather Watson (Farm Management Canada).
We are looking for dairy farmers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario to participate in this study, projected to take place from June to October 2023.
To be included in this project you must:
-be 18 years old or older.
-be a primary or secondary decision-maker of a commercial dairy farm
in BC, Alberta, Sask, Manitoba, or Ontario.
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PROJECT #1:
General dairy farmer well-being
How it's connected to farm management and animal health/welfare (all dairy farmers in western Canada or Ontario welcome)
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What would participation include?
Complete a screening form which will assist researchers in participant selection to ensure a range of perspectives
We would ask the farmer to complete an online survey
Optional: Our team would come visit the farm to take a variety of animal welfare measures (1-2 hours)
Optional: Take part in a one-on-one, confidential interview with one of our research students to discuss how animal health, farm management, technology and automation influences farmer health and well-being (approx. 1 hour). To participate in the interview portion of this study, individuals must be willing to participate in an audio-recorded interview.
Compensation:
Participants who complete the can choose to receive a $15 Tim Horton’s gift card.
Participants who complete the can choose to receive an $20 gift card
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Before beginning the study, we ask that you please complete the recruitment survey. Click here!
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PROJECT #2:
Dairy farmers transitioning to robotic milking systems
How the transition to robots affects the well-being of you and your animals
(dairy farmers in western Canada or Ontario welcome)
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What would participation include?
Complete 3 online surveys *ideally, but we are flexible* (2-3 months before installation date, 2-3 months after installation date; and 4-5 months after installation date)
Permission to access bulk tank records from 12 months before installation to 8 months after installation.
A one-on-one, confidential interview with one of our research students to talk about the impact of the start-up on farmer health and well-being, animal health, and farm management.
$50 Visa gift certificate for your time
For more information, please email, call, or text Arielle Le Heiget (leheigea@myumanitoba.ca / (431) 337-2357) or her advisor Dr. Meagan King (meagan.king@umanitoba.ca / (613) 532-5923).
Click here to complete the recruitment survey!
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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your help with our research study!
For more information, or any questions, comments, or concerns,
please email FarmerWellbeing@umanitoba.ca or email, call, or text Dr. Meagan King (Meagan.King@umanitoba.ca / (613) 532-5923).
This research has been approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus. If you have any concerns or complaints about this project, you may contact any of the above-named persons or the Human Ethics Officer at 204-474-7122 or HumanEthics@umanitoba.ca.
Thank you for your time,
Meagan King (Principal Investigator), Arielle Le Heiget (Graduate student), Breanna Zwick (Graduate student) and Halima Tambadou (Graduate student).
ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE
RESEARCH AT UM
Researching animal health, behaviour, and welfare
to help improve the lives of people and animals.
RESEARCH TOPICS
My overall goal is to integrate animal production and welfare science with compassion and technology to improve:
Farm animal health and welfare
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Farmer well-being, mental health, and quality of life
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Health and welfare of free-living wild animals, barn cats, and northern dogs
ANIMAL HEALTH:
HOUSING AND MANAGEMENT TO PREVENT HEALTH DISORDERS
Which factors are related to good and poor animal welfare on farm?
Which housing and management practices optimize animal hygiene, health and production, and reduce the expression of stereotypic and harmful behaviours while satisfying motivations and preferences?
ANIMAL HEALTH:
MONITORING AND ILLNESS DETECTION USING BIG DATA
Which data can we use to better monitor animal health and make management decisions?
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How can we use precision ag technologies and machine learning to improve illness detection models?
ANIMAL HEALTH:
TREATMENTS AND INTERVENTIONS
What are the most practical and effective measures to improve animal health?
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What low cost, small changes to barn design or management practices can improve animal welfare and do not involve total barn renovations?
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Which footbath protocols and products are best for dairy cow hoof health, farmer health, and the environment?
FARMER MENTAL HEALTH
AND
QUALITY OF LIFE
Despite being the toughest people around (or maybe because of it!), farmers have higher levels of stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression than the average Canadian (Jones-Bitton et al. 2019).
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What are the factors related to good and poor mental health for farmers? Are there connections between farmer mental health and animal welfare?
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Do new technologies improve farmer quality of life and efficiency?
