Social facilitation of virtual fencing

Virtual fencing technology can exclude livestock animals from specific areas via cues emitted from a neckband device. Each animal learns to respond to an audio warning tone and turn away from a virtual fence line to avoid receiving a mild electrical pulse. But cattle and sheep live in groups and may learn by watching the behaviour of others in their group.

We conducted analyses on GPS movement patterns and received cues in cattle to show that during the initial training period, cattle observe and follow the behaviour of those animals around them.

In a similar study with sheep, only a portion of animals were collared to show that even when only 66% of sheep were receiving cues from their collars, all sheep were excluded by the virtual fence line. The virtual fence was not successful if only 33% of animals were collared.

These studies show that the social behaviour of livestock is important to consider when new technologies are implemented on farm.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.543158/full

https://peerj.com/articles/10066/

CSIRO Livestock contact

Hamideh Keshavarzi
Danila Marini