Avian Science Research Centre

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Research Interests

My research interests relate to housing and management of poultry in ways that are sensitive to their needs while being sustainable in UK farming. 

Much of my work is conducted under government grants (both Scottish Office and Defra), but increasingly my work involves collaboration with well-known poultry companies, animal welfare organisations, or industry councils.  The advantage of working in the poultry industry is that it is a relatively intimate group of scientists/companies/organisations, and I like to think we are working towards similar goals in many instances.

Recently, I have been working on whole-house gassing of poultry (particularly topical, in light of recent outbreaks of avian influenza around the world), in which we used aversion trials to assess chicken preferences; using a force plate to measure walking style in broiler (meat) chickens; and investigating the welfare of non-beak trimmed hens kept in various colony sizes of enriched cages.  All of the studies I’m involved in are a ‘team effort’ from fellow members of ASRC, and may also include other members of the Animal Health Group or SLS.

In addition to my research, I am an active committee member of the World’s Poultry Science Association and the International Society for Applied Ethology.

Research Projects

• Review of data on infra red beak treatment on domestic poultry.  BEIC/RSPCA 2008
• Humane culling of poultry during a disease outbreak.  Scottish Government 2005-2007
• Moving beyond the battery cage in Scotland: the effect of perches on laying hens.  Scottish Government 2006 – 2011
• Welfare of hens in enriched cages.  DEFRA 2005 – 2008
• Health and welfare of organic pullets.  LINK project 2005 – 2008
• Alternative methods to feeding broiler breeders.  DEFRA 2002-2005
• Welfare of laying hens at depopulation. DEFRA 2002 - 2007
• Objectively measuring broiler leg health.  DEFRA 2001-2002, and 2005 - 2008

Teaching
I teach the behaviour and welfare module on SAC’s MSc in Applied Poultry Science.  On an annual basis, I supervise Honours and Masters students from various institutes on poultry behaviour and welfare projects, usually conducted at the research facilities at Avian Science Research Centre.  Currently I co-supervise a PhD student investigating food choices in broiler breeders.  I have also been a guest lecturer on the University of Edinburgh’s Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare MSc, where I was once a student.  What goes around, comes around!

Selected Publications

• Hall, C., and V. Sandilands. 2007. Public attitudes to the welfare of broiler chickens. Animal Welfare 16:499-512.
• Raj, A. B. M., V. Sandilands, and N. H. C. Sparks. 2006. Gaseous methods of killing poultry on farm for disease control purposes– a review. Veterinary Record 159: 229-235.
• Sandilands, V., B. J. Tolkamp, C. J. Savory, and I. Kyriazakis. 2006. Behaviour and welfare of broiler breeders fed qualitatively restrictive diets during rearing: are there alternatives to quantitative restriction? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 96:53-67.
• Sandilands, V., B. J. Tolkamp, and I. Kyriazakis. 2005. Behaviour of food restricted broilers during rearing and lay - effects of an alternative feeding method. Physiology and Behavior 85:115-123.
• Sandilands, V. 2004. David Wood-Gush - the biography of an ethology mentor. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 87:173-176.
• Sandilands, V., and C. J. Savory. 2002. Ontogeny of behaviour in intact and beak trimmed layer pullets, with special reference to preening. British Poultry Science 43:182-189.
• Sandilands, V., J. Savory, and K. Powell. 2004. Preen gland function in layer fowls: factors affecting morphology and feather lipid levels. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 137:217-225.