Dr Holly Vickery

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

hvickery@harper-adams.ac.uk

Animal Health, Behaviour and Welfare, Harper Adams University

Scientific Background

Research Interests

I am an Animal Behaviour and Welfare scientist with a particular interest in how findings can be practically utilised by stakeholders and therefore am interested in the areas of applied research, participatory engagement, and science communication. I graduated from the University of Bristol in 2018 with a first-class BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare and then completed my PhD at the University of Reading titled “The behaviour and welfare of goat kids during the milk feeding stage and weaning transition”. In 2022 I won the RSPCA/BSAS Prize for Research with Animal Impact by Scientists in Early Career (PRAISE). Currently I am deputy chair of the Early Careers Committee of the British Society of Animal Science, and 'Impact and Outreach officer' for the Early Careers group of the Animal Welfare Research Network.

I am currently Module leader of:

Advances in Farm Animal Health, Welfare, and Behaviour (A6003C17)
Principles of Animal Behaviour and Welfare (A5008C17)

And Module tutor/lecturer on:

Introduction to Animal Welfare and Ethics (A4005HF)
Research Methods (Animals) (A5011C17)
Advances in Animal Production Science (A6001C17)
Animal Management for Health and Production (VET-10005)

Scientific Inspiration

Dr Temple Grandin is my scientific inspiration, as I really admire her practical approach to solving animal welfare problems which enables her research to have greater impact in the real-world. I also appreciate her views on animal personality and that practical experience holds value when science may not have caught up.

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Supportive, Responsive, Collaborative.

Provision of Training

I take a collaborative approach to training with my students and expect some independent work to figure out appropriate methodology etc. but will always be available to help and support you through this process. As the PhD process goes on, I expect students to work increasingly independently. I have a supportive team of colleagues and will always be able to reach out for additional expertise in areas I may be less familiar with if you find you want to explore additional techniques.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I expect my students to take ownership of their own goals and timelines but with regular input from myself to ensure they are achievable and will set you up for success. I encourage independent and flexible working but expect regular updates on major goals and to be your first port of call when you get stuck or need to troubleshoot.

Communication

Work-life balance and a healthy attitude towards maintaining this during your studies is very important to me, however I also recognise my own, and your, need for a degree of flexible working. I typically reply to emails during working hours but this can vary depending on my own requirements, if I reply outside of normal working hours I do not expect you to do the same. I encourage all students to ensure they have two days off a week but recognise that sometimes this may not always be weekends depending on your personal commitments and needs of the study.

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 fortnight

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, and I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Working Pattern

Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.

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:

Investigating the long-term impacts of environmental enrichment for dairy heifers, and its relation to a successful transition into the milking herd

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).

Investigating the long-term impacts of environmental enrichment for dairy heifers, and its relation to a successful transition into the milking herd

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Gemma Charlton

University of Registration: Harper Adams University

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

Project Outline

Most UK dairy cattle are kept indoors for some, or all, of the year¹ and it is accepted that this restricts behavioural expression, despite this, environmental enrichment (EE) use is limited. Effective EE decreases abnormal behaviour, and increases appropriate species-specific behaviours (e.g. exploration, foraging, play, social interaction²). Brushes are routinely used in the milking herd as effective EE, and there is research regarding the provision of EE for calves pre-weaning, however whilst heifers likely experience the same benefits, the most feasible and efficacious EE for this age group is under explored. Increasing the complexity of the rearing environment promotes behavioural and social flexibility³, which can help individuals better cope with stressors⁴. This seems highly relevant for heifers as they must cope with transitioning into the milking herd and the suite of stressors related to this (changes in their physiology, social and physical environment). However, the stage between weaning and when a heifer joins the milking herd is a neglected research area, and it seems likely they are typically not provided with EE. Evidence demonstrates that there is individual variation in an animal’s ability to adapt to environmental changes⁵, and farm animal personality is an important research area, as personality and coping style are likely related⁶. Understanding personality and how it relates to the efficacy and use of EE, and coping ability around times of transition is highly relevant to improving future heifer rearing.

This project will focus on EE provisions during the heifer rearing stage, and the student will have access to Harper Adams University’s ‘Future Farm’ herd of dairy cattle, and to laboratories to undertake analysis of physiological indicators. The overall aim is to understand the long-term individual heifer impacts of enrichment provision in relation to their personality, and improving their health, welfare and productivity when experiencing the transition to the milking herd.

Objectives and methods

1. Understand preference and use of a range of EE

Live and sensor generated data will be used to determine preference for a range of EE, including the number of individuals interacting with each EE type, and the frequency, duration, and type of interactions.

2. Investigate the interaction between heifer personality and the efficacy of enrichment, by utilising personality testing techniques

Research has demonstrated that cattle show consistent personality profiles, and that this impacts the way they interact with their surroundings. A suite of techniques to quantify personality traits (e.g. novel object, open field, unfamiliar/familiar human tests) will be used alongside data analysis techniques to form personality profiles. These will then be compared to observational behavioural data, collected using individual cow sensors, of frequency and type of enrichment interaction to determine if personality and enrichment efficacy are linked.

3. Quantify the long-term impacts of enrichment, by investigating if enriched heifers transition more successfully into the milking herd, and investigate if there is a relationship between personality and coping ability

The impacts of the transition will be quantified using a range of physiological (e.g. milk yield, somatic cell counts) and behavioural (e.g. social dynamics, time budgets) indicators of welfare. These indicators will be used to assess differences between enriched and non-enriched heifers, and to investigate if there is a relationship between personality profiles, and the impacts of transitioning into the milking herd.

Key References

1. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-9875.

2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2008.08.00.

3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.02.005.

4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2020.106208.

5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.04.001.

6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00131.

Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Ellen Williams.