Virtual fencing is shaping up to be the next big thing in livestock management, according to a researcher who will present her findings at the Koroit Agricultural Field Day on February 22.
Senior researcher for the Tasmania Institute of Agriculture, Dr Megan Verdon, says momentum for virtual fencing is growing in Victoria but its use is prevented by historic legislation.
Virtual fencing is allowed in Tasmania where more than 20 per cent of farms now use the technology.
“The rules were put in place before anyone thought we could use electrical stimulus to manage cattle,” Dr Verdon said. “Now we have this new technology but the laws in some states need to be changed to allow it.”
Dr Verdon is being sponsored by the DemoDAIRY Foundation to speak at the Koroit Agricultural Field Day on February 22, to regional farmers and the Southwest Showcase of Dairy Innovation on February 24-25.
She has been researching virtual fencing for more than eight years but says it’s not her role to promote the technology. “The uptake in Tasmania has been amazing and there is a lot of interest around Australia, but my role is to provide data about the benefits or challenges and then leave it up to individual farmers whether or not it’s suited to their system,” she said. “It’s the same with the legislators – I’m focussed on providing the data to help them make decisions.”
Her research shows that the technology works and the animals are adjusting well to the different management system. “Our research shows that it’s not having a negative impact on their welfare,” Dr Verdon said.
Current research is seeking to quantify the benefits of virtual fencing. “Some benefits are really clear, such as more precise pasture allocation and nutrition for animals, better land management, protecting waterways and pasture utilisation,” Dr Verdon said.
“The technology also has behaviour monitoring abilities with alerts of any abnormal behaviour which could be an early indicator of illness or injury.”
Research with farmers has found it can make a profound difference in their lives by freeing up time for more high-value tasks. “We’ve had farmers say they’ve gone on holidays for the first time because they can trust this technology,” Dr Verdon said.
Dr Verdon said she believed “virtual fencing is probably the next revolution in how we manage our grazing livestock”.
“I believe it can offer significant advantages in terms of our environmental management, animal monitoring, and in people’s lives. But to ensure we achieve all those benefits from the technology, we have to make sure it meets societal perceptions and that it’s used in a way that works with the animal.”
Dr Verdon has been involved with several different research projects, including how the technology works and how animals interact with it, benefits for pastures, labour and cow health and novel applications of the technology.
Her presentation will also cover her research into the use of cow wearables, including collars, ear tags and stomach boluses, to assist herd management.
Innovation technical presentations and workshops will run through the day at the Koroit Agricultural Field Day on February 22 with a series of presentations/workshops in the basketball stadium. DemoDAIRY Foundation is assisting with this activity.
On Sunday February 23, DemoDAIRY Foundation will host Dr Verdon at a session for farmers east of Warrnambool on both cow wearables and virtual fencing with the time and venue to be confirmed. She will also present at the Southwest Showcase of Dairy Innovation hosted by Food and Fibre Great South Coast at Deakin University on February 24-25.