Anderson, Dean M.

Detweiler, Carrick

Rus, Daniela

Schwager, Mac

Vasilescu, Iuliu

English

University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky UKnowledge International Grassland Congress Proceedings 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress Husbandry of Free‐Ranging Cows Using Virtual Fencing Concepts Dean M. Anderson U.S. Department of Agriculture Daniela Rus Massachusetts Institute of Technology Carrick Detweiler Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mac Schwager Massachusetts Institute of Technology Iuliu Vasilescu Massachusetts Institute of Technology Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc  Part of the Plant Sciences Commons, and the Soil Science Commons This document is available at https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/21/5-1/20 The 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress took place in Hohhot, China from June 29 through July 5, 2008. Proceedings edited by Organizing Committee of 2008 IGC/IRC Conference Published by Guangdong People's Publishing House This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant and Soil Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Grassland Congress Proceedings by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu. 瞯 ]660　 瞯 　 Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World 　 Volume Ⅰ 　Grasslands/Rangelands Resources and Ecology ——— Application of Information Technology in Monitoring and Managing Grasslands/Rangelands ResourcesHusbandry of free‐ranging cows using virtual fencing conceptsDean M . A nderson1 , Daniela Rus2 , Carrick Detweiler 2 , Mac Schw ager 2 , and Iuliu V asilescu21 U .S . Department o f A griculture , A griculture Research Serv ice , Jornada Ex perimental Range , Box 30003 , MSC 3JER ,NMSU , L as Cruces , New Mex ico 88003‐8003 , USA2 Computer Science and A rti f icial Intelligence L ab , M IT , Cambridge , MA 02139 , USA1 Corresponding author : deanders＠ nmsu .eduKey words :mustering cows , directional virtual fencing (DVFTM ) , GPS animal tracking , low‐stress animal handlingIntroduction Virtual fencing is a method for managing free‐ranging animals that melds electronics with animal behavior toaccomplish animal control in lieu of conventional fences . Sensory cues , most commonly sound and electrical stimulation , havebeen used to warn an animal that it is approaching an invisible radio frequency ( RF) boundary . Today RF signals emanatingfrom satellites , such as those from the Global Positioning System ( GPS) , replace the need for ground based RF signals . GPScan accurately and precisely determine an animal摧s location on the landscape , and when combined with a Geographic InformationSystem ( GIS) , it is possible to administer cues autonomously in a temporal and spatial format that produces repeatable lowstress prescription animal management . Directional virtual fencing (DVFTM ) , previously described by Anderson (２００１ ; ２００７) ,has been used successfully to hold and move free‐ranging cattle across an arid rangeland landscape . The object of this study is toautonomously gather two groups of free‐ranging beef cows into a corner corral containing the only source of drinking water fromvarious locations in a ４６６ ha brush infested paddock between sunrise and sunset using only audio cues ( Albright et al . , １９６６) .Material and methods Two treatments , each with ten mature crossbred Bos tarus x Bos indicus beef cows will be stratified intoone of two prior handling treatments and evaluated for efficiency of autonomous gathering . The livestock in the treatment notcurrently being evaluated will be maintained in an adjacent paddock located approximately １ .６ km north of the corral into whichthe autonomous gathering is conducted . Electronic devices designed and built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology( MIT ) , capable of recording an animal摧s spatial location using １ Hz GPS technology as well as hardware and software foradministering autonomous audio cues with wireless data transmission capabilities will be mounted on neck saddles attached tohalters worn by the cattle . Background on each animal摧s temporal diurnal pattern of movement to the corral and trails used willbe recorded during week one in the absence of any audio cues being administered . Once each day during the following twoweeks , five morning and five afternoon autonomous gatherings will be randomly conducted outside the time interval cattleentered and exited the corral during week one . The treated group will consist of ten cows , previously habituated to beinggathered into the corral from this paddock using human voice as well as sounds from a gas powered all‐terrain vehicle ( ATV) .Once these�treated cows" reached the corral during habituation they were given immediate access to drinking water and a smallamount of protein supplement . It was during one of these manual gatherings that all audio sounds were recorded . Theserecorded sounds will be autonomously played back to both the treated and control cattle in an attempt to move them to thecorral in the absence of humans being present . The control cows had never been gathered from this paddock or any other usingthe audio being autonomously played , however , the cows were trained to wear electronic equipment and eat proteinsupplement .Results and discussion Field notes , video and still pictures together with GPS data will be discussed especially in light of whetherprior training is essential in order to optimize autonomous gathering of cows using audio cues .Conclusions Data will confirm or refute that autonomously applied audio cues can be used successfully to gather free‐rangingcattle without the need for humans to be present .ReferencesAlbright , J . L . , Gordon , W . P . , Black , W . C . , Dietrick , J . P . , Snyder , W . W . , Meadows , C . E . , ( １９６６ ) . Behavioralresponse of cows to auditory training . Journal o f Dairy Science , ４９ , １０４‐１０６ .Anderson , D . M . , (２００１) . Virtual fencing‐a prescription range animal management tool for the ２１st century . In : Sibbald ,M . ,Gordon I . J . ( Eds) . Proceedings o f the Con f erence �T racking A nimals w ith GPS摧 １２‐１３ March ２００１ .Aberdeen Scotland : Macaulay L and Use Research Institute , ８５‐９４ .Anderson , D . M . , (２００７) . Virtual fencing‐past , present and future . The Rangeland Journal , ２９ , ６５‐７８ .

Husbandry of Free‐Ranging Cows Using Virtual Fencing Concepts

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Husbandry of Free‐Ranging Cows Using Virtual Fencing Concepts

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