Laura Candelotto

I obtained my Bachelor degree at the University of Bern, where I investigated the incidence of floor eggs in different housing systems of broiler breeders and tested possible measures to reduce their occurrence. After receiving my degree, I worked as a research assistant at the Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits in Zollikofen and participated in a study investigating the role of genetic variation in laying hen susceptibility to keel bone fractures. For my Master degree, I joined the Animal Behaviour group at the University of Zurich where I focused on how domestication has affected animal behavior. In cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and the Wolf Science Center in Vienna, I compared prosocial behavior in dogs and wolves. In May 2019, I started my Ph.D. project at the University of Bern, where I am investigating and comparing traditional (i.e., direct and video) and novel (i.e., automated individual and group-level) behavioral observation methods in poultry and rabbits. I intend to extend the comparison of methods to determine their association with animal health and welfare.