Carlos E. Hernandez

Research Interests:

I am interested in studying the effects of pre and post-natal nutrition and the effects of different husbandry practices during early life on the behavioural and physiological development in farm animals (dairy cattle, sheep and laying hens), especially in relation to health and welfare outcomes. I am also interested in the use of insects as a novel food source and environmental enrichment for laying hens.

Research Goal:

To investigate the effects of different feeding routines and management practices during critical windows of growth and development on the long term health, behaviour and welfare of dairy cattle, sheep and laying hens.
To develop novel approaches using remote tracking technologies, behavioural methodologies and biomarkers to assess welfare status in domestic animals.
To provide research-based information for management and feeding practices during early life-stages that promote long term health, productivity and welfare in dairy cattle, sheep and laying hens. 
To investigate novel management practices aimed at reducing feather pecking in laying hens.
To investigate the use of insects as an alternative food source and as an environmental enrichment to promote food foraging behaviours and reduce feather pecking in laying hens.

To investigate alternative calf rearing systems to promote health, growth and welfare in dairy production.

Activity in the scientific society:

Occasional referee for journals related to animal welfare and animal science. Member of the Center for Reproductive Biology in Uppsala (CRU) and Centre of Excellence in Animal Welfare Science (SLU and Linköping University), GroupHouseNet (EU COST researcher network for breeding, management and Welfare in poultry and pigs) and DairyCare (EU COST researcher network in Dairy Animal Health and Welfare).

Course leader of MSc course: Animal Nutrition - health, behaviour and welfare (HV0128). Lectures in various courses including calf rearing, feeding and management, nutrition of the newborn mammal - health, behaviour and welfare. Supervision of MSc students, exchange students and internships students.

Ongoing Projects:

1) Title: “Feeding live insect larvae to laying hens – A locally produced, novel environmental enrichment to promote natural foraging behaviour, reduce feather pecking and replace imported proteins in the diet”

Project leader: Carlos E. Hernandez

Research group: Helena Wall, Emma Ivarsson, Anders Kiessling, Torbjörn Lundh (SLU, Department of Animal Nutrition and Management), Cecilia Lalander, Viktoria Wiklicky, Björn Vinnerås (SLU, Department of Energy and Technology, Environmental Engineering Unit), Bas Rodenburg (Utrecht Universtity, Netherlands), Frank Tuyttens (ILVO, Belgium).

2) Title: “Dry black soldier fly larvae as feed ingredient in egg production - environmental enrichment and alternative source of protein.”

Project leader: Carlos E. Hernandez

Research group: Helena Wall, Emma Ivarsson (SLU, Department of Animal Nutrition and Management), Cecilia Lalander, Viktoria Wiklicky (SLU, Department of Energy and Technology, Environmental Engineering Unit) Fernanda Tahamtani (Animalia, Norway), Emily Wallström (Svenska Ägg)

3) Title: “Mother knows best; a virtual system of ‘maternal care’ to promote welfare in chickens”

Project leader: Carlos E. Hernandez

Research group: Anette Wichman, Jenny Yngvesson, Harry Blokhuis and Linda Keeling (SLU, Department of Animal Environment and Health)

4) Title: “Sustainable dairy production with cow and calf together”

Project leader: Sigrid Agenäs (SLU, Department of Animal Nutrition and Management)

5) Title: “The individual matters: linking personality in dairy cattle to health, performance and welfare”

Project leader: Daiana De Oliveira (SLU, Department of Animal Environment and Health)

6) Title: “Foster calves as a management tool to reduce mastitis, antibiotic use and culling rates while improving calf growth and cow and calf welfare”

Project leader: Carlos E. Hernandez and David Alejandro Caro Contreras del Castillo (UNAM, México)

Research group: Lena Lidfors (SLU, Department of Animal Environment and Health), Carlos S. Galina (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, México), Sharif Aly (UC Davis, USA)

Completed Projects:

1) Title: “Effect of colostrum feeding routines on calf performance and welfare”

Project leader: Carlos E. Hernandez and Kerstin Svennersten Sjaunja

Research group: Lena Lidfors, Lotta Berg, Helena Röcklinsberg (SLU, Department of Animal Environment and Health) and Stefan Alenius (KV)

2) Title: “Dry cow feeding management - effects on colostrum and calf development”

Project leader: Maria Åkerlind (Växa Sverige)

International cooperation:

Bas Rodenburg (Utrecht Universtity, Netherlands), Frank Tuyttens (ILVO, Belgium), David A. Contreras (UNAM, México), Sharif Aly (UC Davis, USA)

Link to publications in Goggle scholar: Carlos E. Hernandez

Link to publications in Scopus: Author ID: 8682384800