Virtual Fencing Technology Excludes Beef Cattle from an Environmentally Sensitive Area

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The eShepherd(®) virtual fencing system being commercialized for cattle has the potential to exclude cattle from environmentally sensitive areas. Animals are given audio cues to indicate a fence line via a neckband device. An electrical pulse is administered if the animal continues moving forward following an audio cue. A commercial trial was conducted in South Australia to assess whether virtual fencing technology could exclude 20 cattle from an area of regenerating saplings, across 44 days, using a contoured fence line. The results demonstrated that the cattle were able to rapidly learn the virtual fencing cues, responding primarily to the audio cue alone, and were excluded from the regenerating area for 99.8% of the trial period. Behavioral time budgets measured by automated devices on the leg changed across the trial duration, but in no consistent pattern. At the trial conclusion, the feed available in the protected zone was double the quantity and quality of the grazed zone. Thus, virtual fencing technology using pre-commercial prototypes was shown to protect an environmental asset within a paddock from cattle grazing in the presence of a large feed differential. ABSTRACT: The eShepherd(®) virtual fencing system being commercialized for cattle has the potential to exclude cattle from environmentally sensitive areas. Animals are given audio cues to indicate a fence line via a neckband device. An electrical pulse is administered if the animal continues moving forward following an audio cue. A commercial trial was conducted in South Australia to assess whether virtual fencing technology could exclude 20 cattle from an area of regenerating saplings; across 44 days; using a contoured fence line. The results showed that the cattle were able to rapidly learn the virtual fencing cues; responding appropriately to the audio cue for 74.5% of 4378 audio signals; and were excluded from the regenerating area for 99.8% of the trial period with the more complex fence line (contoured; not straight) in place. IceQube R’s(®) measuring lying time and bouts showed no consistent increasing or decreasing pattern of change. At the trial conclusion; the feed available in the protected zone was double the quantity and quality of the grazed zone. Technical issues occurred with some of the pre-commercial prototype devices; but those versions are now obsolete. This study observed a single group of cattle in one paddock; further testing of the virtual technology is warranted.