305 Awardee Talk: Application of on-Animal Sensors and Precision Livestock Management on Extensive Cattle and Sheep Ranches

Abstract

Monitoring livestock and forage conditions on extensive rangelands is labor intensive and expensive, and often observations occur infrequently. Technological advancements have made real-time remote monitoring more feasible and less costly. Global positioning system (GPS) tracking data can be transferred from livestock to the internet using cellular phone technologies, low range wide area networks (LoRaWan) and satellite transmissions. With good coverage, cellular-based real time tracking systems work well. Rugged terrain and extensive pastures increase the cost of LoRaWan. Additional LoRaWan gateway towers are needed for data transmission, because these systems rely upon line-of-sight signals. Satellite systems are expensive but hold great potential for rugged terrain. Accelerometers can be used to monitor animal activity, and after on-device summarization the data summary can be transmitted to the internet. Changes in behavior from normal patterns are useful for detecting illness and wellbeing. Bovine ephemeral fever in heifers and perennial ryegrass staggers in sheep were identified by a decrease in activity during the morning and evening grazing bouts using accelerometers. In pen settings, accelerometers were able to detect the timing of lambing and illness associated with unexpected feeding of moldy silage. Continued congregation of livestock at water tanks may indicate water system failures. Normally, animals move away from water to rest after drinking. Tracking is a valuable tool to identify locations where new water developments can improve distribution. Tracking also has potential to notify managers where livestock are congregating and potentially overgrazing, but prediction of forage utilization at light levels is not exact. Tracking systems would also facilitate genetic selection for grazing distribution by providing terrain use phenotypes. Improvements in technology and associated cost reductions of sensors as well as development of algorithms and software potentially gives ranchers mechanisms to remotely monitor livestock wellbeing and rangeland conditions and allow them to respond promptly.