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Tina M WidowskiPosition/Title: Professor of Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare email: twidowsk@uoguelph.ca Phone: Office: ANNU 246
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Meet Tina ( 60 second OAC video )
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Tina had limited exposure to animals, aside from family pets and regular trips to the zoo. With a passion for science and a strong interest in animal biology and behaviour, she wanted to become a veterinarian or a zoologist. But as a university student, she “discovered” animal agriculture. Tina volunteered in the lab of an animal science professor who studied farm animal welfare, which was a relatively new field at the time. As she learned more about modern livestock housing and management systems — and the animal welfare concerns associated with them — she became inspired to help millions of farm animals by improving their quality of life. Widowski holds the Egg Farmers of Canada Chair in Poultry Welfare Research.
Academic History
- B.Sc. in Ecology, Ethology and Evolution at University of Illinois-Urbana (1983)
- M.Sc. in Animal Science at University of Illinois-Urbana (1984)
- Ph.D. in Animal Science at University of Illinois-Urbana (1988)
Affiliations and Partnerships
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Core Faculty (Director, 2008 - 2020)
Research Impact
Tina studies how modern farming practices affect the behaviour, physiology and welfare of the billions of animals that people use for food. She has mainly focused on poultry and pigs because these animals live in the most confined housing systems. Growing awareness of animal welfare has led to demands for housing that allows for greater freedom of movement and more opportunities for animals to perform their natural behaviours. Balancing the health and welfare of farm animals with the economic sustainability of farms is key to Tina’s research. Tina wants to help farmers use new technologies in ways that maintain efficiency while improving animal health and welfare. Working closely with producers, she often visits farms to understand their needs and challenges, and invites them to her lab to learn about her research.
Current Research Projects
Pecking blocks as edible enrichments for laying hens
Pecking blocks are edible enrichments for poultry that are compressed blocks of minerals (mainly calcium carbonate), grains and/or other fiber source. These blocks are proposed to enhance natural foraging behavior, blunt hens’ beaks, reduce feather pecking and improve feather condition. Consequently, they are promising foraging resources that can be provided in both enriched colonies and non-cage housing. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of comparative and detailed studies on strain differences in preferences for and use of different blocks or the impact of pecking blocks on feather pecking in either housing system in Canada. This project examines the effectiveness of commercially available pecking blocks to enhance foraging and, thereby, reduce feather pecking in pullets and laying hens in enriched colonies and commercial cage free housing. We are using both laboratory and field studies to closely represent real-world scenarios and investigate birds' motivation to interact with the pecking blocks, which location(s) is/are most feasible within the system, and quantify effects on feather pecking, feather damage, and production outcomes throughout lay. Understanding the use of pecking blocks and their potential benefit on the feather cover of birds will not only benefit the birds themselves, but the thousands of egg farmers and millions of Canadian consumers who care about production practices. This project is in collaboration with the Harlander lab.
Grasping a perch or elevation? What do pullets and laying hens prefer?
Perching is considered to be a behavioural need of laying hens, with provision of perches required in all alternative housing systems. Some animal care guidelines, including the Canadian Code of Practice for Laying Hens, require that perches must be of a “diameter to allow hens to wrap their toes around the perch and balance evenly on it in a relaxed position”. The motivation for grasping (wrapping toes around the perch) is generally assumed based on the fact that birds have digital tendon locking mechanism that passively flexes(curls) the toes when birds are roosting (sleeping), allowing them to balance on structures with minimal muscular effort. However, hens’ motivation for seeking elevation to roost is also well documented, and some studies have shown that hens prioritize elevation for roosting over preferred structural designs of perches. Assumptions about the need for grasping often make hens’ requirements for perches and interpretation of what constitutes an acceptable perch structure difficult. Here we explore pullets’ and hens preferences for perches, platforms and other structures for roosting, their usage of different structures, grasping, balancing and sleeping postures. The effects of age, reduced keel and foot health on perching and roosting are also being examined.
Graduate Student Information
Dr. Widowski will be retiring at the end of 2026 and is no longer accepting graduate students.
For a full list of publications, please visit Tina's Google Scholar page.