Fernando Javier Roca Fraga
Email: f(-dot-)roca(-at-)massey(-dot-)ac(-dot-)nz
I am a PhD student based at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. I am originally from Ecuador and completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering at Zamorano University in Honduras. I moved to New Zealand to pursue postgraduate studies in pastoral livestock production. My work with Shinichi involves both meta-analytical studies as well as field work to investigate the effect of maternal pregnancy nutrition on sheep productivity. |
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Research Interests
Pastoral livestock production, animal nutrition, animal growth and physiology, statistics.
Past work/Education
I completed my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering at Zamorano University in Honduras. Then I returned to Ecuador where I managed our family's beef cattle property before moving on to manage a commercial dairy farm. In 2009 I moved to New Zealand to pursue postgraduate studies in the area of pastoral agricultural systems and completed a Postgraduate Diploma and a Masters Degree in Animal Science before continuing on to PhD studies in the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences at Massey University.
Current work
My PhD (supervised by Professors Paul Kenyon, Hugh Blair and Nicolas Lopez Villalobos from Massey University and Associate Professor Shinichi Nakagawa from the University of New South Wales) aims to determine optimal pregnancy nutrition regimes for twin-bearing ewes in pastoral systems. With a focus on the impact of over- and under-nutrition during pregnancy on fetal growth, lamb birth weight, weaning weight and survival.
Personal interests
Outside of work I enjoy mountain biking, playing tennis, soccer and playing guitar, as well as spending time with my family and friends.
Pastoral livestock production, animal nutrition, animal growth and physiology, statistics.
Past work/Education
I completed my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering at Zamorano University in Honduras. Then I returned to Ecuador where I managed our family's beef cattle property before moving on to manage a commercial dairy farm. In 2009 I moved to New Zealand to pursue postgraduate studies in the area of pastoral agricultural systems and completed a Postgraduate Diploma and a Masters Degree in Animal Science before continuing on to PhD studies in the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences at Massey University.
Current work
My PhD (supervised by Professors Paul Kenyon, Hugh Blair and Nicolas Lopez Villalobos from Massey University and Associate Professor Shinichi Nakagawa from the University of New South Wales) aims to determine optimal pregnancy nutrition regimes for twin-bearing ewes in pastoral systems. With a focus on the impact of over- and under-nutrition during pregnancy on fetal growth, lamb birth weight, weaning weight and survival.
Personal interests
Outside of work I enjoy mountain biking, playing tennis, soccer and playing guitar, as well as spending time with my family and friends.