Peta Taylor

Peta holds a PhD from the Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Animal Veterinary Bioscience with honours from La Trobe University. Her academic and research career focuses on the behaviour and welfare of production animals, particularly poultry, where she integrates physiological and behavioural assessments to enhance captive animal wellbeing. Throughout her career, Peta has contributed extensively to advancing the understanding of free-range broiler chickens’ welfare, examining factors such as ranging behaviour, environmental enrichment, and affective states to inform better animal management practices. Her research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and she has presented widely at international conferences on applied ethology and poultry science. In addition to her research, Peta coordinates and teaches several university courses related to animal ethics, welfare, and physiology, sharing her expertise with the next generation of animal scientists. She also supervises postgraduate students investigating topics ranging from stocking densities in live export to behavioural motivation in poultry, furthering practical applications of welfare science. Peta’s memberships include the International Society of Applied Ethology and the Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Animals Association, positioning her at the forefront of animal welfare research communities. Her dedication to improving the quality of life for animals in captivity is evident through her ongoing research, teaching, and supervision activities.