Karen Eyre

Dr. Karen Eyre serves as a Lecturer in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability at the University of Queensland, where she conducts research at the Queensland Animal Science Precinct (QASP). Originally from a sheep and beef farm in New Zealand's high country, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Animal Science from Lincoln University. She then pursued a PhD at the University of Queensland, investigating rumen microbial protein production in cattle on low-quality forage diets. After completing her doctorate, she took a brief career break before returning to UQ to work on projects involving goats and sheep. Subsequently, she held a Post-doctoral Fellowship with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), focusing on the impact of targeted late-gestation supplementation on calf loss and pioneering a method using nitrogen isotopes in tail hair to select for nitrogen-efficient cattle in low-nitrogen pastures.

Her research specializes in ruminant nutrition, developing novel feeds and additives to optimize feed utilization, enhance animal production and health, and promote environmental sustainability in livestock systems. Ongoing projects include pilot studies at QASP evaluating methane-mitigating additives' effects on steer feed intake and SF6 tracer technique feasibility for liquid feed methane measurement, alongside grazing trials assessing methane production in pregnant cows. Notable publications encompass: "Innovative monitoring of supplement intake in grazing beef cattle using Bluetooth ear tags" (Freitas-Kirk et al., 2025, Animal Feed Science and Technology); "The effect of a Bacillus-based probiotic on feed intake and digestibility of a forage and a feedlot diet in Bos indicus steers" (Eyre et al., 2025, Veterinary and Animal Science); "Use of 15N abundance in tail hair to predict feed efficiency and response to a urea supplement in young cattle fed a tropical grass forage" (Fraser et al., 2025, Animal Production Science); "Malnutrition of pregnant beef cows and the impact on passive immunity transfer to calves" (Silva et al., 2023, Animal Production Science); and "Liveweight gain and metabolisable energy requirements of young entire male Australian Rangeland goats in response to supplementation" (Leo-Penu et al., 2022, Animal Production Science). Eyre has contributed extensively to conferences, including multiple presentations at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference and the Australian Association of Animal Sciences.

Professional Email: k.turnbull1@uq.edu.au