Automated Virtual Fencing Can Effectively Contain Sheep: Field Trials and Prospects

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Virtual fencing technology uses on-animal devices to communicate boundaries via a warning audio tone and electrical pulse signals. There are limited virtual fencing studies on sheep. This study used modified cattle eShepherd(®) virtual fencing neckbands to enable automated trials with small sheep groups. 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, and most of the cues they received were audio tones, indicating they were learning the warning audio tone meant to stop or turn around. 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 indicate automated technology can work on sheep, but devices need to be designed specifically for sheep, including algorithms adapted to better herd a group of sheep back out of an exclusion zone. A collar device may only be applicable to some sheep breeds with reduced wool. ABSTRACT: 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(®) 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.