Saba Amir
My route into agriculture has been quite unconventional and started with me being awarded a PhD scholarship in 2017 to study gut health of chickens. My previous experience of working in microbiology labs was instrumental in me being awarded the scholarship since gut health mainly revolves around studying the gut microbiota. My interest in dairy and sustainable agriculture grew since I started working as a Knowledge Exchange Fellow for Farming Connect at Aberystwyth University. My reading and writing into several dairy related topics motivated me to apply for a Nuffield scholarship to study calf-cow contact systems. In future I wish to work alongside the farming community to develop solutions to the challenges facing our livestock sector. I also wish to be in a position where I can advise the policy makers on making policies that benefit the animals, the environment, the farmers, and consumers at large.
Can calf with cow dairy farming become the future of the dairy industry?
John Oldacre Foundation
Study Overview
The dairy industry has been and will continue to be criticised on ethical grounds on the practice of calf cow separation. In my Nuffield I want to study the different calf-cow contact systems and how they can be integrated to large commercial dairy units in the UK. Specifically, I am interested the health, welfare and future milk yield of dairy calves that have had an extended contact time with the cow. I will also be looking into regenerative agricultural practices for dairy farmers (including sheep and goat dairy) and additional income generating options. I hope my project will pave my way into Sustainable Agriculture and have a positive impact on the image of the dairy industry.