A 'good life' for pigs - and other exciting animal science research at BISAS 2026

Dr Holly Vickery attended the British and Irish Society of Animal Science (BISAS) Annual Conference in April. She has written about her experiences here!

I’ve recently returned from the BISAS 2026 conference in York, and I can honestly say it was a brilliant few days.

Not only was it my first time visiting York  - what a city,  even if it did feel very far North for this Southerner who regularly refers to Harper as being in the North!  - but it was also a conference packed full of inspiring science, lively discussions, and some very memorable networking moments.  A huge thanks go to the Christopher Wathes Travel Award which enabled me to attend.

Firstly... you may have noticed there has been a name change with the Irish contingent now being officially recognised in the societies title which is now the ‘British and Irish Society of Animal Science’. There were fantastic talks from many Irish delegates and it was really interesting to consider just how much production systems and subsequently welfare vary across countries.

This year I was particularly pleased to see so many sessions focused on animal behaviour and welfare and I was lucky enough to give three talks during the conference.

One focused on validating automated behaviour detection in dairy goats using ear-tag sensors, a project I’m really proud of because goats are so often overlooked in livestock research. It was great to share this work, hear about cutting-edge technologies like rumen boluses and infrared thermography, and chat with others working in precision livestock farming. The pace of innovation in this space is incredible, and it’s exciting to think about how these tools could improve welfare across a wider range of species, especially small ruminants who are currently lacking as many commercially available technologies.

Another highlight was presenting work on what “a good life” means for pigs from an industry perspective, I am really passionate about considering human perspectives and how this impacts animal welfare and this was a really enjoyable project to unpick.  The presentation sparked some really thoughtful conversations about how different people - for example farmers, scientists, retailers and consumers - can all prioritise different aspects of welfare, which can lead to conflict and trade-offs. These kinds of discussions are exactly why conferences like this that include industry are so valuable, they help to remind us that animal welfare science doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Picture caption: Talking all things ‘a good life’ for pigs in a session chaired by the new BISAS president Professor Nick Jonsson (pictured).

Beyond the talks, one of the biggest take-home messages for me was just how important conferences are for networking and confidence-building, especially as an early career researcher, as well as for learning beyond your own narrow research focus.

Being able to chat with experienced scientists, exchange ideas with peers, and realise that others are grappling with similar questions is incredibly motivating. There were a lot of conversations in the animal welfare session I presented around shortages of farm workers and how this can impact animal welfare – I’m currently developing ideas with the Engaging for Change (E4C) research group here at Harper about linking farmer wellbeing with animal welfare and am excited to integrate some of these thoughts on worker recruitment and retention.

And of course, it wasn’t all serious science. The Early Career Council networking quiz was a definite highlight, featuring a slightly chaotic (but hilarious) “Professors’ Challenge” involving space hoppers, hula hoops and flamingo hats. Thanks to Stefan Yarby our ECC chair at the time for organising the props and ensuing chaos! I was busy running the scoreboard, so sadly no photos of the actual professors (they will be very relieved to hear) — but trust me, it happened! We even got a rather eminent Harper professor on a space hopper and discovered a hidden talent when they won the hula hooping round!

Picture caption: The early career council quiz team, Holly Vickery (me), Stefan Yarby, and Amy Marsh, thoroughly testing the quiz equipment before the professors got involved!

I came home inspired, with pages of notes, lots of follow-up emails to send, and plenty of ideas to bring back into my research and teaching. I may have also acquired a goat balloon from the conference dinner that is still floating proudly in my office – a surprisingly long-lasting souvenir of a great few days!

All in all, a brilliant conference and a reminder of why getting out of the office, sharing work, and talking to people in person really matters.