Name: Richard Blatchford
Major Professor: Joy Mench
Department: Animal Science
Lab Phone: (530)752-3643
Email: rablatchford@ucdavis.edu
Web Site: http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/faculty/Mench/Students/Blatchford.htm
|
|
MS -
University of California, Davis -
Avian Science -
2006
PhD -
University of California, Davis -
Animal Behavior, starting -
2005
BA -
Hiram College -
Psychobiology -
2001
|
|
Research Interests
|
|
My research focuses on the effects of photoperiod on broiler behavior and welfare. Current industry photoperiods typically consist of 23 hours of dim light per day. This has been criticized as disruptive to sleeping behavior, eye development, lowered immunocompetence, and leg bone deformities. My MS research focused on behavioral patterns and leg deformities of broilers exposed to different lengths of continuous dark. My PhD work will expand on this, looking at the effects of different light intensities, immunocompetence, and eye development, as well as leg bone deformities. Activity patterns, as well as sleeping and feeding behavior are of particular interest.
|
|
|
Publications
Blatchford, R.A., K.C. Klasing, H.L. Shivaprasad, P.S. Wakenell, G.S. Archer, & J.A. Mench. 2009. The effect of light intensity on the behavior, eye and leg health, and immune function of broiler chickens. Poultry Science, 88, 20-28.
Alvino, G.M., R.A. Blatchford, G.S. Archer, & J.A. Mench. 2009. Light intensity during rearing affects the behavioural synchrony and resting patterns of broiler chickens. British Poultry Science, 50, 275-283.
|