Dr Annabelle Beaver

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

Animal Health, Behaviour and Welfare, Harper Adams University

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Annabelle Beaver is an interdisciplinary animal welfare scientist with a particular interest in dairy cows and calves. She joined Harper Adams in January 2020, after serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia. Annabelle has a Master's in Animal Behaviour and Conservation (Hunter College, CUNY) and a PhD in Animal Science (Cornell University). Along the way she also gained a Fulbright Scholarship in Mathematical Modelling in the Netherlands (Wageningen University).

Annabelle’s current research examines how housing and management decisions impact cow and calf welfare. As co-project director of a multi-institutional project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, Annabelle is investigating how prolonged-cow calf contact may offer benefits for cow and calf behaviour and affective state. The current PhD opportunity builds upon and extends this research. Alongside this, Annabelle also serves as an advisory editor for the Animal Welfare book series (Springer).

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: supportive, understanding, detail-oriented.

Provision of Training

I prefer to take responsibility for your technical training at first, leading to more independence later.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I have high expectations and will push you to your full potential. I like to be kept up to date and will expect to see evidence of method development/data generation at our meetings. I am here for advice and guidance to help you reach the goals you set for yourself.

Communication

I am happy to discuss any issues that are impacting your ability to fulfil your potential or my/our expectations.

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:

In a group meeting

At least once a month

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once a week

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once a fortnight

In year 3 of PhD study

At least once a month

These meetings will be a mixture of face to face, via video chat or telephone. I have an open-door policy, though my pattern of being contactable for an instant response is not predictable.

Working Pattern

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings), I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 2 weeks' notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Current Projects (2025-26)

Primary supervisor for:

Optimising management strategies within dairy cow-calf contact systems in the United Kingdom

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Optimising management strategies within dairy cow-calf contact systems in the United Kingdom

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Emma Bleach

University of Registration: Harper Adams University

BBSRC Research Themes: Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Animal Health and Welfare)

Project Outline

This project aims to investigate and optimise cow-calf contact (CCC) systems in dairy farming, addressing a growing interest from both consumers and farmers in the UK and globally. While separating dairy calves from dams within 24 hours is standard practice, CCC systems are gaining attention due to potential benefits for cow and calf health, welfare, and social sustainability. Dairy producers already implementing CCC cite reduced workload as a key advantage, while conventional dairy farmers tend to view CCC systems as infeasible. Thus, lack of knowledge and guidance on optimal management practices may represent a barrier to more widespread uptake of CCC.

The proposed research for the PhD studentship will comprise two main components:

Identification of optimal management practices for CCC systems in the UK:

- The project will begin with a cross-sectional study to determine the most common management practices on CCC dairy farms throughout the UK (e.g., duration of cow-calf contact, full or partial contact, separation methods), using a combination of data from on-farm visits and herd-management software.
- These specific management decisions will then be analysed for associations with welfare and performance indicators for calves (e.g., growth, weaning stress, abnormal behaviours) and for cows (e.g., body-condition score, behavioural changes, milk production) to identify optimal practices.
- Longitudinal data collection from dam-reared heifers will be undertaken over the course of 13-15 months to quantify the effects of CCC methods on the heifer during key stages of rearing, up until joining the adult herd. Due to historical concerns that calves reared by dams are more ‘feral,’ calf behaviour via avoidance-distance tests will also be assessed to provide insights into the human-animal relationship on farm. This analysis will provide crucial information on the feasibility of specific CCC management practices in terms of stockperson safety and ease of management.

Prospective cohort study on postpartum health and fertility outcomes for the dam:

- Although suckling is associated with improved (reduced) rates of mastitis in the dam, there is a paucity of literature exploring the effect of CCC on other common postpartum conditions (e.g., ketosis, metritis, retained placenta) and fertility metrics (e.g., days open, calving interval, pregnancy rate, etc). The student will compare rates in CCC vs. conventional systems. This study will run alongside the cross-sectional and longitudinal work described above, as it will rely entirely on farm records and will include farms that keep accurate data on fertility metrics and the frequencies of postpartum conditions.

This comprehensive approach will address key research gaps we identified in systematic reviews [2,3], particularly regarding the effects of CCC on both calf and dam health and welfare. By combining on-farm data collection and epidemiological analysis, the project aims to provide evidence-based guidance for optimal CCC management practices, potentially facilitating wider adoption in the dairy industry.

Key References

Beaver, A., et al. (2019). Invited review: A systematic review of the effects of early separation on dairy cow and calf health. J. Dairy Sci., 102(7), pp.5784-5810.
Meagher, R.K., Beaver, A., et al., (2019). Invited review: A systematic review of the effects of prolonged cow–calf contact on behavior, welfare, and productivity. J. Dairy Sci. 102(7), pp.5765-5783.