Dr. Lindsay K Whistance
Job title:
Senior Livestock Researcher
Academic qualifications:
- PhD: Eliminative behaviour of dairy cows and the potential for adjustment to improve welfare 2007: Harper Adams University
- BSc (Hons): Animal Science (Behaviour) 2003 University of Lincoln
Role and responsibilities:
- Carrying out research as part of the livestock team
- Knowledge transfer
Research projects
Research interests:
- Farm animal behaviour
- Participatory research and facilitation
- Health and welfare planning and assessments
- Role of trees and shrubs in landscapes and food systems for farmed animals
Interests outside of ORC:
Member of:
The International Society of Applied Ethology ( ISAE)
Farm Woodland Forum
Publications:
- Simonson W, Whistance L, Gossell C, Escobar MP (2025) Silvopasture for Building Climate Resilience in Livestock Systems. Report from UK-Brazil-Africa Scoping Project December 2024-February 2025. Organic Research Centre/University of Bristol
- Sari N, Kliem K, Whistance L, Smith J, Natalello A, Christodoulou C, Crompton LA, Theodoridou K, Ray P, Rymer C, Stergiadis S (2025) Tannin variation in tree fodder from temperate climates and implications for methane emissions from enteric methane. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 323: 116299 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116299
- Vaarst M, Whistance LK, Roderick S. (2025) Organic dairy farming in Europe: building on the past to develop the future. In: Vaarst M, Roderick S, Whistance L. (eds). Advances in organic dairy cattle farming. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Cambridge, UK. Pp. 1-10. ISBN-13:9781801465380
- Whistance LK. (2025) The value of One Health and One Welfare approaches in promoting the health and welfare of organic dairy cattle. In: Vaarst M, Roderick S, Whistance L. (eds). Advances in organic dairy cattle farming. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Cambridge, UK. Pp. 77-98. ISBN-13:9781801465380
- Roderick S, Whistance LK. (2025) Integration of organic dairy cattle into a whole farm context. In: Vaarst M, Roderick S, Whistance L. (eds). Advances in organic dairy cattle farming. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Cambridge, UK. Pp. 257-284 ISBN-13:9781801465380
- Vaarst M, Muller A, Schader C, Leiber F, Oehen B, Whistance LK, Roderick S. (2025) Organic dairy farming as part of sustainable ecological and social food systems. In: Vaarst M, Roderick S, Whistance L. (eds). Advances in organic dairy cattle farming. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Cambridge, UK. Pp. 325-348. ISBN-13:9781801465380
- Stobart A, Prieto Garcia J, Vieweger A, Westaway S, Whistance L (2023) Medicinal tree products offer therapeutic benefits and potential diversification for small scale agroforestry and farm woodlands: an overview with indications for further studies In: I Fiebrig (Ed.) Medicinal Agroecology. CRC Press, Oxford. Pp. 105-121
- Manuelian CL, Valleix S, Bugau H, Fuerst-Waltl B, da Costa L, Burbi S, Schmutz U, Evans A, Katsoulas N, Faliaga S, Aksoy U, Çiçekli Ö, Dróżdż D, Malińska K, Whistance L, Johnson M, Knebl L, Righi F, De Marchi M (2023) Farmers concerns in relation to organic livestock production. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 22: 1268-1282. https://doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2023.2252005
- Davis J, Whistance L, Lewis D (2023) The role and benefits of shelterbelts on farms. Quarterly Forest Journal. 117(2): 115-121
- Ortuño J, Stergiadis S, Koidis A, Smith J, Humphrey C, Whistance L, Theodoridou K (2021) Rapid tannin profiling of tree fodders using untargeted mid‑infrared spectroscopy and partial least squares regression. Plant Methods 17:14 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-021-00715-8
- Kendall NR, Smith J, Whistance LK, Stergiadis S, Stoate C, Chesshire H, Smith, AR (2021) Trace element composition of tree fodder and potential nutritional use for livestock. Livestock Science 250:104560 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104560
- Whistance LK (2019) Enhancing naturalness and human care. In: M Vaarst and S Roderick (Eds.) Improving organic animal farming. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge. pp. 79-101
- Escribano AJ, Ryschawy J, Whistance LK (2019) Potentials of agroforestry systems with animals to improve organic animal farming. In: M Vaarst and S Roderick (Eds.) Improving organic animal farming. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge. pp. 123-155
- Whistance L (2019) Silvopasture. Chapter in: The Agroforestry Handbook: Agroforestry for the UK (2019) Edited by Ben Raskin and Simone Osborn. The Soil Association
- Hothersall B, Whistance L, Zedacher H, Algers B, Andersson E, Bracke M, Courboulay V, Ferrari P, Leeb C, Mullan S, Nowicki J, Meunier-Salaün, Schwarz T, Stadig L, Main, D (2016) Standardising the assessment of environmental enrichment and tai docking legal requirements for finishing pigs. Animal Welfare 25:499-509.
- Ivemeyer, S., Smolders, G., Brinkmann, J., Gratzer, E., Hansen B., Henriksen, B.I.F., Huber J., Leeb, C., March, S., Mejdell, C., Nicholas, P., M., Roderick, S., Stöger, E. Vaarst, M., Whistance, L.K., Winkler, C., Walkenhorst, M. (2012) Impact of health and welfare planning on medicine use, herd health and production in European organic dairy farms. Livestock Science. 145:63-72.
- Whistance, L.K., Sinclair, L.A., Arney, D.R., Phillips, C.J.C., (2011). Eliminative behaviour of dairy cows at pasture. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 130:73-80.
- Vaarst, M., Winckler, C., Roderick, S., Smolders, G., Ivemeyer, S., Brinkmann, J., Mejdell, C., Whistance, L.K., Nicholas, P., Walkenhorst, M., Leeb, C., March, S., Henriksen, B.I.F., Stöger, E., Gratzer, E., Hansen, B., Huber, J. (2011) Animal health and welfare planning in organic dairy cattle farms. Open Veterinary Science Journal. 5 (Suppl. 1: M5): 19-25.
- Whistance, L.K., Sinclair, L.A., Arney, D.R., Phillips, C.J.C., (2009) Trainability of eliminative behaviour in dairy heifers using a secondary reinforcer. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 117: 128- 136.
- Leeb, C., Gratzer, E., Huber, J., Stöger, E., Winckler, C., Brinkmann, J., March, S., Walkenhorst, M., Ivemeyer, S., Smolders, G., Mejdell, C., Henriksen, B.I.F., Hansen, B., Whistance, L.K., Vaarst, M. (2011) Farmer opinion on the process of health and welfare planning in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. In: The process of minimising medicine use through dialogue-based animal health and welfare planning: Workshop report – Core Organic project nr.: 1903 – ANIPLAN. Aarhus Universitet, Det Jordbrugsvidenskabelige Fakultet. pp. 80-88. ISBN: 978-87-91949-65-4.
- Whistance, L.K., Arney, D.R., Sinclair, L.A., Phillips, C.J.C., (2007) Defaecation behaviour of dairy cows housed in straw yards or cubicle systems. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 105: 14-25.