Bec Forder

Dr Bec Forder

Senior Lecturer

School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences

College of Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Dr Rebecca Forder is currently a Senior Lecturer the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (SAVS), teaching anatomy, physiology and poultry production.Dr Forder is nationally recognized for her research outputs in poultry nutrition, physiology and production. Dr Forder has a strong research interest in nutritional manipulation of the intestinal mucosal environment, including microbial colonisation, intestinal cellular morphology, physiology, and innate immunity, with key expertise in molecular, immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses. Dr Forder’s interests have expanded into the area of developmental programming and how the maternal environment influences gastrointestinal development and microbial colonisation of their progeny

Year Citation
2026 Cooper-Rogers, B., Klingner, P., Whittaker, A., Forder, R., & Fernandez, E. J. (2026). Program animal welfare: A scoping review of animal interaction programs and their welfare impact on zoo-housed animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 297, 106919-1-106919-12.
DOI
2025 Taylor, P. S., Forder, R., & Morgan, N. (2025). Meat chicken breeder stress: causes, effects, and mitigation strategies. World S Poultry Science Journal, 81(1), 35-64.
DOI Scopus1 WoS2
2024 Forder, R. E. A., Willson, N. -L., Angove, J. A., McWhorter, T. J., McQueen, M. A., & Cadogan, D. J. (2024). Dietary inclusion of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite improved reproductive performance but did not affect intestinal permeability in two chicken meat breeder lines. Poultry Science, 103(5), 103595-1-103595-9.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC3
2024 Firman, C. B., Forder, R. E. A., Inhuber, V., Cadogan, D. J., & Fernandez, E. J. (2024). Short Communication: The effect of in ovo creatine monohydrate on early pen use activity in chicks. Animal, 18(6), 101201-1-101201-5.
DOI
2023 Firman, C. -A. B., Inhuber, V., Cadogan, D. J., Van Wettere, W. H. E. J., & Forder, R. E. A. (2023). Corrigendum to "Effect of in ovo creatine monohydrate on hatchability, posthatch performance, breast muscle yield, and fiber size in chicks from young breeder flocks" [Poult. Sci. 102 (3) (2023) 102447].. Poult Sci, 102(7), 102778.
DOI
2023 Angove, J., Willson, N. -L., Barekatain, R., Rosenzweig, D., & Forder, R. (2023). In ovo corticosterone exposure does not influence yolk steroid hormone relative abundance or skeletal muscle development in the embryonic chicken. Poultry Science, 102(7), 102735-1-102735-14.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2022 Willson, N. -L., Hughes, R. J., Hynd, P. I., & Forder, R. E. A. (2022). Layers, broiler chickens and their F1 cross develop distinctly different caecal microbial communities when hatched and reared together.. Journal of applied microbiology, 133(2), 448-457.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2022 Firman, C. -A. B., Inhuber, V., Cadogan, D. J., Van Wettere, W. H. E. J., & Forder, R. E. A. (2022). Effect of in ovo creatine monohydrate on hatchability, post-hatch performance, breast muscle yield and fiber size in chicks from young breeder flocks. Poultry Science, 102(3), 102447.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC3
2020 Angove, J. L., & Forder, R. (2020). The avian maternal environment: exploring the physiological mechanisms driving progeny performance.. The Worlds Poultry Science Journal, 76(1), 100-118.
DOI Scopus9 WoS8
2020 Angove, J. L., Willson, N. -L., Cadogan, D., & Forder, R. (2020). In ovo corticosterone administration alters body composition irrespective of arginine supplementation in 35-day-old female chicken meat birds. Animal Production Science, 61(1), 8-16.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2019 Pandi, J., Glatz, P., Forder, R., & Chousalkar, K. (2019). Effects of different Papua New Guinea sweetpotato varieties on performance and level of enteric pathogens in chickens. Animals, 9(4), 188-1-188-15.
DOI
2018 Gilani, S., Howarth, G., Tran, C., Barekatain, R., Kitessa, S., Forder, R., & Hughes, R. (2018). Reduced fasting periods increase intestinal permeability in chickens. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 102(1), 486-492.
DOI Scopus32 WoS30 Europe PMC21
2018 Pandi, J., Glatz, P., Forder, R., Komolong, B., & Chousalkar, K. (2018). Evaluation of the effects of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) in broiler diets. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 102(1), e216-e224.
DOI Scopus7 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2018 Kruk, Z., Bottema, M., Reyes-Veliz, L., Forder, R., Pitchford, W., & Bottema, C. (2018). Vitamin A and marbling attributes: intramuscular fat hyperplasia effects in cattle. Meat Science, 137, 139-146.
DOI Scopus42 WoS38 Europe PMC28
2018 Stone, D., Bellgrove, E., Forder, R., Howarth, G., & Bansemer, M. (2018). Inducing subacute enteritis in Yellowtail Kingfish Seriola lalandi: the effect of dietary inclusion of soybean meal and grape seed extract on hindgut morphology and inflammation. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 80(1), 59-68.
DOI Scopus26 WoS26
2018 Forder, R. (2018). Transcriptional analysis of liver from chickens with fast (meat bird), moderate (F1 layer x meat bird cross) and low (layer bird) growth potential. BMC Genomics, 19(1), 1-12.
DOI Scopus23 WoS22 Europe PMC18
2018 Gilani, S., Howarth, G., Tran, C., Kitessa, S., Forder, R., Barekatain, R., & Hughes, R. (2018). Effects of delayed feeding, sodium butyrate and glutamine on intestinal permeability in newly-hatched broiler chickens. Journal of Applied Animal Research, 46(1), 973-976.
DOI Scopus10 WoS8
2018 Bowling, M., Forder, R., Hughes, R. J., Weaver, S., & Hynd, P. I. (2018). Effect of restricted feed intake in broiler breeder hens on their stress levels and the growth and immunology of their offspring. Translational Animal Science, 2(3), 263-271.
DOI Scopus24 WoS23 Europe PMC14
2018 Willson, N., Nattrass, G., Hughes, R., Moore, R., Stanley, D., Hynd, P., & Forder, R. (2018). Correlations between intestinal innate immune genes and cecal microbiota highlight potential for probiotic development for immune modulation in poultry. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 102(21), 9317-9329.
DOI Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC11
2017 Willson, N., Forder, R., Tearle, R., Nattrass, G., Hughes, R., & Hynd, P. (2017). Evaluation of fatty acid metabolism and innate immunity interactions between commercial broiler, F1 layer × broiler cross and commercial layer strains selected for different growth potentials. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, 8(1), 70-1-70-11.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2017 Gilani, S., Howarth, G., Nattrass, G., Kitessa, S., Barekatain, R., Forder, R., . . . Hughes, R. (2017). Gene expression and morphological changes in the intestinal mucosa associated with increased permeability induced by short-term fasting in chickens.. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, 102(2), 1-9.
DOI Scopus48 WoS39 Europe PMC38
2017 Gilani, S., Howarth, G., Kitessa, S., Tran, C., Forder, R., & Hughes, R. (2017). Intestinal permeability induced by lipopolysaccharide and measured by lactulose, rhamnose and mannitol sugars in chickens. Animal, 11(7), 1174-1179.
DOI Scopus23 WoS21 Europe PMC16
2017 Gilani, S., Howarth, G. S., Kitessa, S. M., Tran, C. D., Forder, R. E., & Hughes, R. J. (2017). New biomarkers for increased intestinal permeability induced by dextran sodium sulphate and fasting in chickens.. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 101(5), 1-9.
DOI Scopus45 WoS39 Europe PMC35
2016 Gilani, S., Howarth, G. S., Kitessa, S. M., Forder, R. E. A., Tran, C. D., & Hughes, R. J. (2016). New biomarkers for intestinal permeability induced by lipopolysaccharide in chickens. Animal Production Science, 56(12), 1984-1997.
DOI Scopus46 WoS39
2016 Pandi, J., Glatz, P., Forder, R., Ayalew, W., Waramboi, J., & Chousalkar, K. (2016). The use of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) root as feed ingredient for broiler finisher rations in Papua New Guinea. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 214, 1-11.
DOI Scopus12 WoS8 Europe PMC1
2016 Van Wettere, W., Willson, N., Pain, S., & Forder, R. (2016). Effect of oral polyamine supplementation pre-weaning on piglet growth and intestinal characteristics. Animal, 10(10), 1655-1659.
DOI Scopus31 WoS27 Europe PMC21
2015 M'Sadeq, S., Wu, S., Choct, M., Forder, R., & Swick, R. (2015). Use of yeast cell wall extract as a tool to reduce the impact of necrotic enteritis in broilers. Poultry Science, 94(5), 898-905.
DOI Scopus56 WoS49 Europe PMC38
2015 Bansemer, M. S., Forder, R. E. A., Howarth, G. S., Suitor, G. M., Bowyer, J., & Stone, D. A. J. (2015). The effect of dietary soybean meal and soy protein concentrate on the intestinal mucus layer and development of subacute enteritis in Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Ialandi) at suboptimal water temperature. Aquaculture Nutrition, 21(3), 300-310.
DOI Scopus48 WoS45
2014 Kitessa, S., Nattrass, G., Forder, R., McGrice, H., Wu, S. -B., & Hughes, R. (2014). Mucin gene mRNA levels in broilers challenged with Eimeria and/or Clostridium Perfringens. Avian Diseases, 58(3), 408-414.
DOI Scopus33 WoS31 Europe PMC24
2014 Cheled-Shoval, S., Gamage, N., Amit-Romach, E., Forder, R., Marshal, J., Van Kessel, A., & Uni, Z. (2014). Differences in intestinal mucin dynamics between germ-free and conventionally reared chickens after mannan-oligosaccharide supplementation. Poultry Science, 93(3), 636-644.
DOI Scopus58 WoS52 Europe PMC45
2014 Cheled-Shoval, S. L., Withana Gamage, N. S., Amit-Romach, E., Forder, R., Marshal, J., Van Kessel, A., & Uni, Z. (2014). Differences in intestinal mucin dynamics between germ-free and conventionally reared chickens after mannan-oligosaccharide supplementation. American Historical Review, 119(2), 636-644.
DOI
2012 Forder, R., Nattrass, G., Geier, M., Hughes, R., & Hynd, P. (2012). Quantitative analyses of genes associated with mucin synthesis of broiler chickens with induced necrotic enteritis. Poultry Science, 91(6), 1335-1341.
DOI Scopus115 WoS108 Europe PMC91
2012 Atkins, H., Geier, M., Prisciandaro, L., Pattanaik, A., Forder, R., Turner, M., & Howarth, G. (2012). Effects of a lactobacillus reuteri BR11 mutant deficient in the cystine-transport system in a rat model of inflammatory bowel disease. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 57(3), 713-719.
DOI Scopus14 WoS13 Europe PMC11
2011 Golder, H., Geier, M., Forder, R., Hynd, P., & Hughes, R. (2011). Effects of necrotic enteritis challenge on intestinal micro-architecture and mucin profile. British Poultry Science, 52(4), 500-506.
DOI Scopus40 WoS39 Europe PMC35
2010 Atkins, H., Geier, M. S., Turner, M., Forder, R. E. A., Pattanaik, A. K., Yazbeck, R., & Howarth, G. S. (2010). A novel mutant probiotic and the effects on colonic inflammation in a rat model of colitis. JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, 25, A17.
2008 Forder, R., Firth, G., Tivey, D., Howarth, G., & Hughes, R. (2008). A small-scale, low-cost isolation system for the incubation and rearing of low bacterial load chicks as a model to study microbial-intestinal interactions. Laboratory Animals, 42(2), 185-192.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2007 Forder, R., Howarth, G., Tivey, D., & Hughes, R. (2007). Bacterial modulation of small intestinal goblet cells and mucin composition during early posthatch development of Poultry. Poultry Science, 86(11), 2396-2403.
DOI Scopus144 WoS132 Europe PMC108
2006 Forder, R. E. A., Tivey, D. R., & Hughes, R. J. (2006). Changes in ileal mucin production through interactions with intestinal microflora during early post-hatch development of poultry. JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, 21, A265.

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (SAVS). I gained my first academic appointment in 2009 as a Level A Associate Lecturer teaching anatomy and physiology. I coordinate three courses in the school in addition to teaching into Animal Nutrition and Metabolism II & III and Physiology for Veterinary Technology I. I also lecture in poultry production associated with courses such as Animal Handling and Husbandry I, Ag Systems 1B and Professional Skills in Veterinary Bioscience III which cover a basic overview of chicken meat and egg industries, management, nutrition, genetics, breeding and housing.



I am enthusiastic about the courses I teach and always aim to inspire students and hope they will continue their studies in physiology, anatomy and poultry science with the same enthusiasm.

 

  • Comparative Animal Anatomy and Physiology IIA (course co-ordinator)
  • Comparative Animal Anatomy and Physiology IIB (course co-ordinator)
  • Physiology for Veterinary Technology I
  • Animal Nutrition and Metabolism II and III
  • Intensive Animal Production Science III (course co-ordinator)
  • Animal Handling and Husbandry I (poultry)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 Co-Supervisor Animal Interaction Programs and their welfare impact on zoo-housed animals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Bridget Kristin Cooper-Rogers
2025 Co-Supervisor Animal Interaction Programs and their welfare impact on zoo-housed animals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Bridget Kristin Cooper-Rogers
2022 Principal Supervisor Improving chick hatchability and post-hatch performance through maternal dietary supplementation of guanidino compounds Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Corey-Ann Briggette Firman
2022 Principal Supervisor Improving chick hatchability and post-hatch performance through maternal dietary supplementation of guanidino compounds Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Corey-Ann Briggette Firman
2020 Co-Supervisor The utilisation of insect based aquafeed substitution in Barramundi, Silver Perch and Murray Cod for optimum nutritional value and flavour Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Adele Jade Barca
2020 Co-Supervisor The utilisation of insect based aquafeed substitution in Barramundi, Silver Perch and Murray Cod for optimum nutritional value and flavour Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Adele Jade Barca

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2018 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The avian maternal environment: Its influence on the physiological mechanisms contributing to progeny production efficiency in chicken meat birds Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Joshua Luke Angove
2014 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Biomarkers of Increased Intestinal Permeability in Chickens Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Saad Gilani
2014 - 2019 Co-Supervisor The Sex Dependent Impact of Maternal Feed Restriction Stress and Elevated Cortiocosterone in Ovo on Meat Bird Growth, Development and Hypothalamic Gene Expression Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mandy Ann Bowling
2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Role of sweet potato fibre on energy utilisation, gut morphology, and gut microbiota in broilers Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Janet Pandi
2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Identification of Biological Factors that can be Consistently Linked to Performance Variation in Modern Commercial Broiler Flocks Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Nicky-Lee Willson
2012 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Naturally-Fermented Milk from Indonesia: A Study of Microbial Diversity and Probiotic Potency for the Potential Treatment of Intestinal Mucositis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yoga Dwi Jatmiko
2012 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Maternal Dietary Environment Modulates Programming Responses in Avian Offspring during Embryonic and Post-Hatch Development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Sarah Weaver

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