Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects
Virtual fencing technology uses on-animal devices to communicate boundaries via a warning audio tone and electrical pulse signals. There is currently limited validation work on sheep. This study used modified cattle eShepherd<sup>®</sup> virtual fencing neckbands on reduced-wool sheep wi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/4/619 |
| _version_ | 1797622879319228416 |
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| author | Dana L. M. Campbell Sue Belson Jim M. Lea Jackie Ouzman Caroline Lee Troy Kalinowski Damian Mowat Rick S. Llewellyn |
| author_facet | Dana L. M. Campbell Sue Belson Jim M. Lea Jackie Ouzman Caroline Lee Troy Kalinowski Damian Mowat Rick S. Llewellyn |
| author_sort | Dana L. M. Campbell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virtual fencing technology uses on-animal devices to communicate boundaries via a warning audio tone and electrical pulse signals. There is currently limited validation work on sheep. This study used modified cattle eShepherd<sup>®</sup> virtual fencing neckbands on reduced-wool sheep with clipped necks to enable automated trials with small groups across both day and night. The first 5-day trial with six Dorper crossbred sheep was conducted in an experimental paddock setting, with a second 5-day trial conducted with 10 Ultra White sheep on a commercial farm. The animals across both trials were contained in the inclusion zone for 99.8% and 92.2% of the trial period, with a mean percentage (±SD) of total audio cues as audio only (i.e., not followed by an electrical pulse) being 74.9% ± 4.6 in the first trial, and 83.3% ± 20.6 for the second trial. In the second trial, sheep crossed over into the exclusion zone on the third night and remained there until they were walked out for their daily yard check in the morning. These preliminary trial results are promising for the use of automated technology on sheep, but suitable devices and algorithms still need to be designed specifically for sheep in the long term. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:16:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f73595924b104e39a41ae3254980d3eb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:16:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f73595924b104e39a41ae3254980d3eb2023-11-16T18:39:09ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-02-0113461910.3390/ani13040619Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and ProspectsDana L. M. Campbell0Sue Belson1Jim M. Lea2Jackie Ouzman3Caroline Lee4Troy Kalinowski5Damian Mowat6Rick S. Llewellyn7Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW 2350, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW 2350, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW 2350, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Glen Osmond, SA 5064, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW 2350, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW 2350, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Glen Osmond, SA 5064, AustraliaAgriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Glen Osmond, SA 5064, AustraliaVirtual fencing technology uses on-animal devices to communicate boundaries via a warning audio tone and electrical pulse signals. There is currently limited validation work on sheep. This study used modified cattle eShepherd<sup>®</sup> virtual fencing neckbands on reduced-wool sheep with clipped necks to enable automated trials with small groups across both day and night. The first 5-day trial with six Dorper crossbred sheep was conducted in an experimental paddock setting, with a second 5-day trial conducted with 10 Ultra White sheep on a commercial farm. The animals across both trials were contained in the inclusion zone for 99.8% and 92.2% of the trial period, with a mean percentage (±SD) of total audio cues as audio only (i.e., not followed by an electrical pulse) being 74.9% ± 4.6 in the first trial, and 83.3% ± 20.6 for the second trial. In the second trial, sheep crossed over into the exclusion zone on the third night and remained there until they were walked out for their daily yard check in the morning. These preliminary trial results are promising for the use of automated technology on sheep, but suitable devices and algorithms still need to be designed specifically for sheep in the long term.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/4/619GPSbehavioursheepelectrical pulseaudio cuegrazing |
| spellingShingle | Dana L. M. Campbell Sue Belson Jim M. Lea Jackie Ouzman Caroline Lee Troy Kalinowski Damian Mowat Rick S. Llewellyn Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects Animals GPS behaviour sheep electrical pulse audio cue grazing |
| title | Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects |
| title_full | Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects |
| title_fullStr | Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects |
| title_short | Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects |
| title_sort | automated virtual fencing can effectively contain sheep field trials and prospects |
| topic | GPS behaviour sheep electrical pulse audio cue grazing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/4/619 |
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