Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting
Virtual fences for livestock facilitated by a GPS shock collar (GPS-SC) and phone app were introduced to the UK in cattle herd trials in 2020. Technology which uses aversive shocks to control livestock movement on farms and in other settings poses a significant risk to livestock welfare. There are c...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/19/3084 |
| _version_ | 1827722859579965440 |
|---|---|
| author | Iris Alexandra McCormick Jessica Elizabeth Stokes |
| author_facet | Iris Alexandra McCormick Jessica Elizabeth Stokes |
| author_sort | Iris Alexandra McCormick |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virtual fences for livestock facilitated by a GPS shock collar (GPS-SC) and phone app were introduced to the UK in cattle herd trials in 2020. Technology which uses aversive shocks to control livestock movement on farms and in other settings poses a significant risk to livestock welfare. There are currently no welfare protocols in place in the UK to ensure the ethical use of GPS-SCs. The objective of this study was to understand how GPS-SCs were being used in practice in the UK and gather data to assist researchers and policymakers in the future research and development of a welfare protocol for the UK. We studied how the technology performs in terms of welfare challenges and opportunities, covering extensive livestock production, conservation settings, “rewilding”, and regenerative farming practices, where the technology is currently being applied. Semistructured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. In-depth interviews (n = 8) supported the previous literature that the use of GPS-SCs in restricted grazing settings poses a risk to animal welfare. This is due to the wavering virtual fence boundary line (which is affected by satellite movements), a lack of visual markers, and, in some “rewilding” and conservation settings, livestock keepers, which require training and support to enable optimal welfare in practice and prevent misuse of the technology. Results also indicated that there are opportunities for enhancing livestock welfare with GPS-SCs in very extensive farm settings, where targeted care can be facilitated by using the data to monitor and track livestock using GPS-SCs, and which can also prevent cattle injury or fatality through virtual pastures designed to protect livestock from hazards such as roads or bogs. Future research is needed to focus on minimising shocks in the training period and to better understand the value of visual electric fences in the training process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:50:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07d6b80d464343158e92e688f9cf5d75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:50:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-07d6b80d464343158e92e688f9cf5d752023-11-19T14:00:01ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-10-011319308410.3390/ani13193084Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm SettingIris Alexandra McCormick0Jessica Elizabeth Stokes1School of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UKSchool of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UKVirtual fences for livestock facilitated by a GPS shock collar (GPS-SC) and phone app were introduced to the UK in cattle herd trials in 2020. Technology which uses aversive shocks to control livestock movement on farms and in other settings poses a significant risk to livestock welfare. There are currently no welfare protocols in place in the UK to ensure the ethical use of GPS-SCs. The objective of this study was to understand how GPS-SCs were being used in practice in the UK and gather data to assist researchers and policymakers in the future research and development of a welfare protocol for the UK. We studied how the technology performs in terms of welfare challenges and opportunities, covering extensive livestock production, conservation settings, “rewilding”, and regenerative farming practices, where the technology is currently being applied. Semistructured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. In-depth interviews (n = 8) supported the previous literature that the use of GPS-SCs in restricted grazing settings poses a risk to animal welfare. This is due to the wavering virtual fence boundary line (which is affected by satellite movements), a lack of visual markers, and, in some “rewilding” and conservation settings, livestock keepers, which require training and support to enable optimal welfare in practice and prevent misuse of the technology. Results also indicated that there are opportunities for enhancing livestock welfare with GPS-SCs in very extensive farm settings, where targeted care can be facilitated by using the data to monitor and track livestock using GPS-SCs, and which can also prevent cattle injury or fatality through virtual pastures designed to protect livestock from hazards such as roads or bogs. Future research is needed to focus on minimising shocks in the training period and to better understand the value of visual electric fences in the training process.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/19/3084animal welfarecattleelectric collarsgrazingconservationvirtual livestock fence/ing |
| spellingShingle | Iris Alexandra McCormick Jessica Elizabeth Stokes Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting Animals animal welfare cattle electric collars grazing conservation virtual livestock fence/ing |
| title | Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting |
| title_full | Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting |
| title_fullStr | Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting |
| title_short | Stakeholder Challenges and Opportunities of GPS Shock Collars to Achieve Optimum Welfare in a Conservation or Farm Setting |
| title_sort | stakeholder challenges and opportunities of gps shock collars to achieve optimum welfare in a conservation or farm setting |
| topic | animal welfare cattle electric collars grazing conservation virtual livestock fence/ing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/19/3084 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT irisalexandramccormick stakeholderchallengesandopportunitiesofgpsshockcollarstoachieveoptimumwelfareinaconservationorfarmsetting AT jessicaelizabethstokes stakeholderchallengesandopportunitiesofgpsshockcollarstoachieveoptimumwelfareinaconservationorfarmsetting |