Duration: 10/01/2011 to 09/30/2016

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

To keep American agriculture competitive while ending world hunger is one of the grand societal challenge priority areas outlined within the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative request for applications this year (AFRI, 2010). Keeping American agriculture competitive and ending world hunger will likely require intensive food animal production. Intensive rearing of animals for human food can present significant animal welfare challenges. Therefore, it is crucial that scientific understanding and knowledge of animal welfare be available to the agricultural industry.

Animal welfare is an important issue for consumer confidence in animal production. Surveys taken during the past 15 years indicate strong public concern that farm animals have good welfare, or a good life. For example, 95% of respondents to a nationwide survey conducted by Oklahoma State University agreed with the statement, It is important to me that animals on farms are well cared for (2007). In another study (Ohio State University, 2005), 92% of respondents to a survey in Ohio agreed or strongly agreed that it is important that farm animals are well-cared for, and 85% agreed or strongly agreed that even though some farm animals are used for meat, the quality of their lives is important. In addition, 81% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the welfare of farm animals is just as important as the welfare of pets, and 75% agreed or strongly agreed that farm animals should be protected from feeling physical pain. A recent European poll indicated that consumers in the 29 countries surveyed are very concerned about the welfare of animals (Eurobarometer, 2007).

A system that results in poor animal welfare is unsustainable because it is unacceptable to many people. The quality of animal products is being judged in relation to the ethics of production, including impact on the animal's welfare. Customers and consumers are demanding major changes in food animal housing systems, in particular gestation stalls for the breeding sow, conventional cages for the laying hen and stalls for veal calves. These changes have begun to be implemented through education, assessment/certification schemes, third party auditing and legislation.

Animal welfare can also impact world trade as evidenced by the recent establishment of global animal welfare standards on transport and slaughter by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The OIE continues the development of standards and recommendations in new areas of importance to animal welfare. In 2009-2010 the OIE has formed an adhoc group on laboratory animal welfare and two ad hoc groups on animal welfare and livestock production systems ( http://www.oie.int/eng/bien_etre/en_introduction.htm).

Through this multistate project (currently NC-1029), we have established a national scientific committee to generate and disseminate objective scientific information on animal welfare issues. This committee is comprised of approximately 20 scientists working in multiple disciplines at different locations throughout North America. Our research is critical to provide the science and technology to help producers and those involved in animal production maintain their freedom to operate as potential trade barriers are implemented.

The long-term objective of the multistate project is to optimize animal welfare while maintaining animal productivity.

In order to meet this broad objective, we are proposing to provide sound science in the following two areas for the next five years of the project:

1. Development of novel animal behavior measurement techniques to assess where on-farm welfare challenges may exist and to develop alternative management strategies to solve these challenges.

There is a need to develop novel, preferably non-invasive techniques to measure animal behavior. Behavior can be used as an indicator of welfare, and can provide critical and timely information in regards to how an animal is coping, adapting or not coping to a prescribed set of circumstances.

2. Improve understanding of on-farm welfare assessment and auditing programs and understand the appropriateness and feasibility of various methods of measurement.

Many animal welfare assessment/certification and third party auditing programs have been introduced in the U.S. in recent years, such as the PQA-Plus for swine, United Egg Producers Certified for layer hens, and the National FARM for dairy cattle. The work of this multistate committee is crucial for the development and implementation of science-based programs. Commodity groups in the U.S. have highlighted that their policies, and programs designed to assess welfare must be based on sound animal welfare science (e.g., National Pork Board, 2002; National Milk Producers Federation, 2009).

The protocols for these two areas of research will be carried out in multiple locations and the outcomes will elucidate the validity of measures across different environments and genotypes of farm animals.

This multistate committee has been successful. Applied animal behavior and animal welfare research is a relatively new scientific discipline in the U.S. A challenge faced by the limited number of researchers working in this area is the ability to have a critical mass of persons and resources in one central location and available funding to support welfare and behavior programs. One of the great strengths of the project is that it fosters collaborative research, therefore leveraging institutional investments, resources, and scientific effort. In addition, some members of the committee also hold teaching and/or extension appointments, allowing the results of the research to be more easily integrated across mission areas and disseminated to all stakeholders of animal agriculture.

Moreover, members of the project conduct research spanning a variety of species and approaches. Therefore, the diversity of experience and skills is an asset. This group is currently at the forefront of behavior and welfare research in domestic animals and members are frequently approached by industry groups to answer questions related to animal welfare. Ideas and approaches from newer members should further contribute to the development of novel methods to measure behavior and assess on farm animal welfare. The project comprises the leading applied animal behavior and welfare researchers and teachers in the U.S. and their wide-ranging skills are likely to yield significant progress in this area.

Over the next five years we will focus on the following objectives:

1. Novel techniques for measuring livestock and poultry behavior;
2. On-farm assessment of livestock and poultry welfare.

Related, Current and Previous Work

A CRIS search for terms animal behavior and animal welfare identified only one other multi-state project working on a similar area, NE-1042 (Poultry production systems: optimization of production and welfare using physiological, behavioral and physical assessments) but they are investigating only one species, whereas our project will also include livestock. In addition, the focus of NE-1042 is on production systems rather than animal behavior. For the remaining 43 individual projects listed on the CRIS search results, some were terminated and some included members of this committee and do not specifically conflict with the projects on NC-1029. On a different search for multi-state projects, another project with welfare on the title was NCERA089 (Swine Production Management to Enhance Animal Welfare) but their focus is more on management practices rather than specifically measuring behavior and again, only in one species.

RELEVANT CAGED HEN LITERATURE

The welfare of laying hens raised in cages is of growing public concern in the United States (Mench, 2003; Savory, 2004). Market forces have generated a host of claims, labeling programs, and certifications to create options for consumers to buy noncage eggs (Thompson et. al., 2007). In response, egg producers are considering or have adopted alternatives to caged housing systems. To respond to the need, the United Egg Producers have recently developed animal care guidelines for non-cage egg production. The benefits of alternative egg production systems, such as aviaries and enriched cages, have not been tested and are not completely understood with regard to hen welfare in the United States. Moreover, scientific information with respect to hen behavior in alternative housing systems has largely emanated from Europe (Schwabenbauer, 1999; Odén et al,. 2002; Rodenburg et al., 2008). Research has been focused on productivity, feed consumption, health or quality of the indoor environment in addition to behavior using strains of hens common to European production (Abrahamsson et al., 1998; Michel and Huonnic, 2003; Green et al., 2007). A report released from the European Union (Blokhuis, 2007) indicates that alternative enriched furnished or noncage production systems used in the European Union better accommodate certain behavioral components of hen welfare like dust bathing than cage systems. However, other problems emerge that can seriously offset gain to overall hen welfare such as health challenges (Blokhuis et al., 2007). For example, as laying hens become older, they become more prone to bone fractures (Newberry et al., 1999). As a result they may suffer more injury in noncage systems (Wilkins et al., 2004). Developing an objective picture of how hens move and behave within various housing systems could provide important clues to hen welfare and adaptation to features of alternative commercial systems (Mishra et al., 2005). Finally, scientifically derived information will allow more accurate development of guidelines and standards for hen housing within the United States.

RELEVANT LYING AND RESTLESS BEHAVIOR LITERATURE

Lying behavior in dairy cattle can provide insight into how cows interact with their environment. While lying behavior is a useful indicator of cow comfort, it can be time consuming to measure. In response to this challenge, using data loggers to automate behavioral recording has become increasingly common. There are a number of loggers worn on the leg that accurately describe lying patterns in cattle (Ledgerwood et al., 2010, O'Driscoll et al., 2008, Trénel et al., 2009). However, little is known about how these devices affect lying behavior. University of California will test if wearing a leg logger influences lying behavior in several situations, including treatments where cows either wear a logger or do not. Video and live observation will be used to record changes in lying behavior, including the side of lying and total time engaged in the behavior. The long-term goal of this work is to understand the implications of using automated data loggers to measuring lying behavior in cattle.
There is evidence that restless behavior in cattle may be a useful tool in the assessment of comfort while standing. For example, increased variation in distribution of body weight has been used to detect uncomfortable standing surfaces, such as those with protruding rocks or screws, compared to rubber flooring (Neveux et al., 2006). Other evidence supports the idea that restless behavior serves as a measure of discomfort. Lame cattle shift their weight more than sound cows while standing (Pastell and Kujala, 2007), and this behavior is reduced when lame cows are given pain relief (Rushen et al., 2007). To date, restless behavior has been measured by counting steps or by measuring shifts in weight with load cells. In order to further our understanding of when and how these changes occur, we will evaluate muscle function during restless behavior with electromyography (EMG).

RELEVANT PAIN LITERATURE

Lameness in pigs has a large negative economic impact and it has been estimated to cost the U.S. swine ~$23 million/year. Science-based guidance for the industry on optimal housing, management and treatment of lame pigs is deficient. There are no approved drug treatments for analgesia of lameness in swine and, the identification and validation of robust, repeatable pain measurements is fundamental for the development of effective analgesic drug regimens and management strategies. In addition to variation in physiological responses, variation in disease severity also complicates the study of pain.
Most research has focused on behavioral or physiological changes associated with acute pain (Anil et al., 2002; Ting et al., 2003; Stilwell et al., 2008), but these changes can be complex, with natural variation between animals complicating the differentiation of pain from other factors such as stress (Anderson and Muir, 2005). Induction of lameness allows for controlled evaluation of pain in animals because pre- and post lameness measurements can be taken from the same animal, thereby reducing the confounding effects of individual differences. This approach has been published by Kotschwar et al., (2009) who examined the efficacy of sodium salicylate for providing analgesia in an amphotericin B-induced bovine synovitis-arthritis model. The authors concluded that the amphotericin B-induced synovitis-arthritis model was a useful tool for studying changes associated with lameness in cattle through the use of pressure mats, heart rate and visual scoring of lameness but that sodium salicylate was not effective in providing analgesia after lameness. Several tools have been described to assess pain associated with bovine lameness (Coetzee 2008a,b; Kotschwar et al., 2009). Sprecher et al., (1997) has used lameness scoring systems based on visual gait analysis, based on behavior and posture in dairy cattle. This system is most useful in categorizing general lameness for serial monitoring, in setting intervention points for herd level decisions, and in identifying individuals for immediate treatment. Although visual scoring systems do allow for noninvasive categorization of lameness that can be correlated with the other diagnostic tools, they are limited by inter- and intra-observer variability (Kotschwar et al., 2009). Wells et al. (1993) found 91.3% inter-observer agreement between 2 investigators when using a standardized visual lameness scoring system. Kinematics, for example pressure mat technology provides objective data through determination of BW distribution and temporality. Both kinematics and behavior allows for non-invasive analysis of lameness that can be correlated with the other diagnostic tools.

Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. The IASP adds, The inability to communicate verbally does not negate the possibility that an individual is experiencing pain and is in need of appropriate pain-relieving treatment. This is an important point, especially when discussing pain in animals, and even more so in food-producing animals, such as pigs. Animals can visibly communicate their pain to us only through physical signs. Pain is a complex phenomenon. It involves many nerve cells, many types of nerve chemicals, and many different nerve cell receptors to which the nerve chemicals bind in order to continue a pain signals trip to the spinal cord and brain (Coetzee, 2008a,b). Not only is pain complex from the standpoint of transmission, processing, and control, it is also complex in that there are different types of pain that have been identified based on cause or pathophysiology, the most important of which are acute pain and chronic pain. Because the causes, transmission, and methods of processing of pain are complex issues, it is understandable that pain management and pain control are complicated and difficult.

Objectives

1. Develop novel animal behavior measurement techniques to assess on farm welfare challenges and evaluate alternative management strategies to solve these challenges.
   
2. Improve understanding of on-farm welfare assessment and auditing programs and understand the appropriateness and feasibility of various methods of measurement.
   

Methods

Objective 1 Monitoring Individual Laying Hens in Alternative Housing Research conducted at Michigan State University, University of California and Washington State will use novel, actively transmitting body-mounted sensors to assess movement and space and resource use of hens in non-cage systems. Sensors that intelligently monitor hen behavior, coupled with accurate data interpretation, will enable effective evaluation of welfare in different non-cage housing systems. Researchers will relate sensor-based and observational data to enable automatic identification of flight and landing force of laying hens in a non-cage system. Individual hens will be observed to determine the times at which locomotory movements of interest start and end and compared to sensor data to define power availability in specific frequency ranges corresponding to leg and wing movements of individual hens. In addition, they will correlate detailed productivity, health, behavioral, and sensor-based measures from individual hens in a controlled experimental non-cage system to understand the relationship among key welfare variables. The long-term goal is to develop a framework for automated assessment of behavior and welfare of individual laying hens housed in large flocks in commercial non-cage housing systems. Lying and Restless Behavior in Cattle Initially, University of California will use surface electrodes to measure muscle activity of the hind legs when standing on concrete flooring with different slopes (3, 6 and 9%) and will simultaneously measure stepping behavior to evaluate the relationship between these two measures of restless behavior. If successful, wireless electrodes could then be used to non-invasively evaluate restless behavior in situations where stepping behavior or changes in weight distribution would be difficult to measure (e.g. while waiting to be milked in a large group). The long-term goal of this work is to improve our measurement and understanding of restless behavior in cattle. Pain in Pigs and Cattle Two models will be used to explore the best way to measure the behavioral response to pain: lameness (led by Iowa State University) and castration (led by Kansas State University). Iowa State and Kansas State will induce lameness in pigs using a chemical model of synovitis and concurrently measure stages of lameness in the same pig using a variety of detection tools that span (1) kinematics (2) physiology (3) pain and (4) behavior. The long-term goal of our research group is to validate objective tools to assess pain. These tools will be used to develop management strategies and to screen analgesics that have shown efficacy in other species for pharmacokinetic profiles in swine. This would allow for treatment in a production setting, and to establish efficacious analgesic drug regimens for various painful production outcomes in pigs, and to determine refinements to housing to facilitate convalescence and comfort in lame swine. The management of pain during routine animal husbandry practices such as castration is another area of growing consumer concern. Although castration is a painful procedure, millions of animals are castrated each year without the use of analgesics. This procedure remains a part of agricultural practice because of the long-term benefits to producers, consumers, and even to the animals themselves. With the future promise of heightened consumer demand and policy implementation regarding animal welfare, it is necessary for producers to find practical and cost-effective ways to provide pain mitigation to piglets or calves during painful procedures such as castration and tail-docking. A first step in doing so is to understand the behavioral, physiological and neurophysiological pain response of an animal to a painful procedure. Studies at Kansas State will develop a pain model in cattle in response to castration. These studies will focus on the variable of age and will compare EEG responses with additional measurements of pain (behavioral and physiological) and distress in calves of three age/weight classes undergoing surgical castration; focus on the variable of surgical technique and will compare EEG responses with additional measurements of pain and distress in lightweight and heavyweight calves undergoing two forms of castration; and focus on the variable of analgesic type and will compare EEG responses with additional measurements of pain and distress in groups of calves receiving either local anesthesia, a sedative drug or a systemic analgesic drug prior to castration. These studies will assess the effectiveness of a variety of both behavioral and physiological measurements (e.g. changes in activity, tail flicks, foot stomps, serum cortisol, thermography, etc.) in the assessment of pain in livestock. These behavioral measurements have not been extensively evaluated to date. Alternative system to collect behavioral and physiological responses in pigs USDA-ARS will collaborate with Purdue and Iowa State in the development and evaluation of the PigTurn  a novel penning system which counter-rotates against the direction of a catheterized pig to maintain catheter patency. This system will be used in applied studies to determine the effects of specific stressors. Handling and restraint of animals causes a stress response. It is hypothesized that the concentrations of stress hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol in blood samples collected using the PigTurn will be significantly lower than those in blood samples collected manually, and heat stress and noise stress will significantly increase physiological and behavioral indicators of stress. The study of individual stressors would greatly benefit from the ability to collect biofluid data from animals that are both conscious and free-moving without the stress of handling, and thus, open to experimental manipulation of specific stressors. Behavior of pigs subjected to either manual or automatic collection of blood samples will be recorded using 5-min scan samples to determine overall behavioral time-budgets in relation to treatment, and also continuously from 5 min before each blood sampling to 15 min post-sampling to determine the pigs response to sampling. Studies will investigate the effect of heat stress or chronic noise on welfare of growing pigs by measuring physiological (mean heart rate, blood pressure, ECG data, core body temperature, plasma catecholamines, and plasma cortisol) and behavioral data. Other studies at the USDA-ARS and potential collaborations include: 1) examination of the sequence of behaviors performed when pigs encounter each other during mixing, leading to encounter escalation or appeasement and then determine whether this sequence can be influenced by pre-exposure; 2) Determination of novel markers of chronic stress in dairy cattle; 3) Determination of beak-trimming associated stress and its effects on bird welfare. Use of mouse model for evaluation of behavior Purdue will adapt non-invasive human research methods for animal research, providing welfare-friendly alternatives or adjuncts to existing methods. An area of research will include the evaluation of abnormal repetitive behaviors (ARBs) which represent a very important production and welfare issue. Barbering (fur and whisker plucking) and ulcerative dermatitis (lesions induced by excessive scratching) in mice will be used as a model for directing research in applied species (examples of ARBs include feather pecking in poultry, anal massage in pigs, tongue rolling in cattle). Understanding how ARBs correlate with animal welfare and what can be done to reduce these behaviors would help define the importance of measuring them in livestock species to assess on farm welfare. Another area of focus will be to investigate possible refinements of the methods used in behavioral neuroscience - focusing on reducing sample size, reducing false positives, increasing replicability, and increasing predictive validity. This research will help improve efficiency of animal behavior research. Collaborators include USDA-ARS, University of California and Washington State University. Objective 2 Validity and measurement of human-animal relationship in pigs Animal commodity groups have been addressing species specific welfare guidelines over several years in the U.S. with varying degrees of application and content. One area that continues to be discussed is the collection of behavioral measures on farm, which are repeatable, objective and meaningful. There is still not a universally agreed and accepted direct behavioral methodology that can be conducted on-farm due to numerous challenges and ramifications. Many studies on the human-animal relationship have used approach and avoidance behavior to measure reactivity of animals to specific treatments. Fangman et al. (2010) coined the term willingness to approach (WTA) as a more positive alternative describing approach behavior rather than negative terms such as fear and avoidance. They demonstrated that the WTA methodology is a tool that serves as a sensitive parameter for assessing vaccine reactivity in pigs practically. Therefore Iowa State University will address the following objectives for refining the WTA methodology: (1) Validate how repeatable the WTA methodology in nursery aged pigs housed conventionally between live observations vs. digital picture for one experienced female observer (intra-reliability), (2) ascertain what other behaviors / postures pigs are engaging in when not classified as WTA using the digital camera and (3) validate the reliability between assessors for the WTA behavioral method on a commercial farm. Following validation of WTA methodology, follow-up experiments will be conducted in collaboration with various stations such as University of Minnesota and Kansas State University. Sampling and measurement of animal-based measures in dairy cattle Animal-based measures are often incorporated into on-farm animal welfare assessment, but little is known about the sample size required to accurately measure the number of animals affected by a problem (e.g. lameness, low body condition score). University of Minnesota and University of California will evaluate the proportion of dairy cows that need to be evaluated in order to provide accurate estimates of lameness, body condition, hygiene, and leg injuries. In addition, MN and CA will explore the relationships between these variables, with the broad aim of evaluating if a number of parameters (e.g., % severely lame cows, % very thin cows) correspond to one another. These calculations will be carried on data from a random population of 50 commercial dairy farms where lactating cows (approximately 6,000) representing these herds were individually scored for outcome based measurements of welfare such as locomotion, hock lesion, hygiene and body condition. Follow-up experiments will be conducted to evaluate appropriate sampling and methodology for on-farm assessment of cattle welfare in collaboration with other stations such as Kansas State University and University of Illinois. Alternative housing for hens and on-farm welfare University of California and Washington State University will compare hen welfare in different housing systems  aviary, furnished cage and conventional cage. Outcome measures of welfare will include hen health, behavior, physiology, and egg production and quality. Studies of resource use will focus on the provision of dust bathing and foraging materials, in terms of the amount, type and extent of substrate that needs to be provided to minimize competition among hens for dust bathing and foraging areas, and to ensure that hens are provided with a substrate that facilitates maintenance of good feather condition and ectoparasite removal.

Measurement of Progress and Results

Outputs

• Publication of results in peer-reviewed manuscripts that will provide researchers and educators tools and information on how to assess animal welfare.
• Validation of science-based behavioral, physiological and neurophysiological pain measurements used to measure welfare.
• Understanding the relationships between behavioral, physiological and neurophysiological measurements of pain in cattle and swine.
• Validation of on-farm behavioral tests to assess animal welfare in swine, cattle, and poultry.
• Development of standardized science-based criteria for assessing welfare of non-caged chickens and an automated monitoring system with potential to be used commercially to monitor welfare of livestock.

Outcomes or Projected Impacts

• The findings of this committee have the potential to impact the welfare of billions of production animals as well as to increase the productivity and competitiveness of millions of U.S. producers.
• Our work with poultry is designed to identify ways in which improving animal welfare will improve the profitability of egg production, benefiting both hens and producers.
• The results of this project will provide the livestock industry with the information needed to develop science-based policies regarding age of castration, method of castration and to demonstrate the utility of administering a validated, cost-effective, preemptive analgesic regimen to calves prior to castration.
• Work with Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors has the potential to yield great benefits for the welfare of the many humans and other animals suffering these debilitating behaviors.
• Work will validate objective tools to assess pain. These tools will be used to develop management strategies and to screen analgesics that have shown efficacy in other species for pharmacokinetic profiles in swine. This would allow for treatment in a production setting, and to establish efficacious analgesic drug regimens for various painful production outcomes in pigs, and to determine refinements to housing to facilitate convalescence and comfort in lame swine.
• Outcome/Impact 6: The pain model developed in this project can be applied to other livestock species expanding the knowledge base surrounding pain in many farm animal species.

Milestones

(2011): Conduct, compile and analyze data from initial studies

(2012): Conduct planned studies using methods outlined above; apply for additional funding; prepare data for manuscripts and conference proceedings

(2013): Continue conducting planned studies; prepare data for manuscripts and conference proceedings

(2014): Continue conducting planned studies; prepare data for manuscripts and conference proceedings

(2015): Complete publications of all findings; Symposium at ADSA/ASAS/PSA meetings.

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Outreach Plan

Various members of NC-1029 hold extension or outreach appointments and will contribute to dissemination of project findings to livestock behavior researchers, livestock producers, and specialized groups who are using this kind of practical information to assess the welfare of farm animals. There are also many members involved in teaching activities so that the upcoming generation of researchers, industry and producers can be well informed about issues related to animal welfare.

It is important for livestock behavior researchers to know the degree of validation supporting the use of methods to evaluate welfare and also for them to be aware of their limitations. Research scientists will be targeted through the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE), which is the international professional organization of scientists studying farm animal behavior, and appropriate scientific animal societies, such as American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), and Poultry Science Association (PSA). The ISAE has a regular newsletter and an e-mail network that can be used to inform others about the research project. The final research results will be presented at the ISAE annual congress before an international audience and it is likely that Applied Animal Behavior Science, the official journal of the ISAE, would be a key peer-review journal where results would be published. Members of NC-1029 will also present research results at the ASAS, ADSA, and PSA annual meetings and publish in the journals of these societies. A symposium will be proposed for presentation of final results of the project at ASAS/ADSA/PSA annual meetings.

Livestock producers may be asked to review and comment on on-farm welfare assessment and audit programs for their particular species. Producers need to have some fundamental knowledge of the latest research results in these areas. In the United States, outreach efforts will be lead by the dissemination of information via the land-grant extension system as well as the USDA Animal Welfare Information Center and eXtension. Data generated from the current project will be disseminated at producer meetings, posted on web sites, and published in relevant newspapers and trade magazines. Social media could also be used to distribute or highlight key results.

Results will also be disseminated to those groups that are considering, or that are already conducting, on-farm welfare assessments or audits. It is important that those groups incorporate practical indicators of welfare and that they know the validity and reliability of those indicators. This is particularly important since many of the options to assess welfare have not been carefully evaluated (an important point of this present project).

In general, this project is expected to result in collaborative, peer-reviewed scientific publications and reviews, as well as abstracts presented at national and international meetings, and extension publications. This project also provides unique opportunities for interdisciplinary training of graduate students and other research personnel.

Organization/Governance

The Executive Committee of NC-1029 shall consist of the Chair and Secretary.

The chair of the committee is responsible for organizing the meeting agenda, conducting the meeting, preparing the annual report, and assuring that tasks and assignments are completed.

The secretary is responsible for keeping records on decisions made at meetings (a.k.a. keeping the minutes) and assisting in the preparation of the annual report.

The Chair is elected for a one-year term. The term of Office of the Chair will end at the adjournment of the regular annual meeting. The previous Secretary will become the Chair for one year. A new secretary will be elected each year by those attending the Committee meeting.

Committee membership requires active participation and information exchange (including the submission of a station report) at the annual meetings. In addition to carrying out the agreed information exchange, project members are responsible for contributing to the ongoing progress of any committee activity, and communicating their accomplishments to the committee's members and their respective employing institutions. Regular attendance is vital for a committee to be successful. Therefore, members that do not attend the annual meeting or send a substitute three years in a row will be assumed to be inactive and requested to be officially removed from the committee.

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Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

CA, FL, IA, IL, IN, KS, MD, MI, MN, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, TX, WA

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Ohio State University, USDA/ARS, 216 Poultry Bldg, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, Western University of Health Sciences