Animal Welfare Implications of Digital Tools for Monitoring and Management of Cattle and Sheep on Pasture

Abstract

The opportunities for natural animal behaviours in pastures imply animal welfare benefits. Nevertheless, monitoring the animals can be challenging. The use of sensors, cameras, positioning equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles in large pastures has the potential to improve animal welfare surveillance. Directly or indirectly, sensors measure environmental factors together with the behaviour and physiological state of the animal, and deviations can trigger alarms for, e.g., disease, heat stress and imminent calving. Electronic positioning includes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for the recording of animals at fixed points. Positioning units (GPS) mounted on collars can determine animal movements over large areas, determine their habitat and, somewhat, health and welfare. In combination with other sensors, such units can give information that helps to evaluate the welfare of free-ranging animals. Drones equipped with cameras can also locate and count the animals, as well as herd them. Digitally defined virtual fences can keep animals within a predefined area without the use of physical barriers, relying on acoustic signals and weak electric shocks. Due to individual variations in learning ability, some individuals may be exposed to numerous electric shocks, which might compromise their welfare. More research and development are required, especially regarding the use of drones and virtual fences.

Evaluation of an Active LF Tracking System and Data Processing Methods for Livestock Precision Farming in the Poultry Sector

“…Tracking technologies generate sequences of chronologically ordered location data and offer a way to monitor movement of many individuals over long time periods with minimal disturbances. Tracking technologies have become valuable for detecting health issues in farm animals at an early stage [1][2][3][4] and in cage-free poultry farming, for their potential to select breeding traits that benefit welfare within cage-free systems [5,6] as well as to provide scientific information for optimal management [7]. However, cage-free housings are uniquely complex and may introduce numerous challenges for tracking technologies.…”

Individual Monitoring of Behavior to Enhance Productivity and Welfare of Animals in Small-Scale Intensive Cattle Grazing Systems

“…Data transfer from animal-mounted devices to a terminal is also easier in small-scale systems because animals visit a fixed place such as a barn every day. Information on continuous individual animal behavior around the clock can be much more detailed than a single manual inspection per day, and to some extent, but not completely, it can replace manual labor to monitor animals, thus saving time and money (Herlin et al, 2021). In addition, although daily visual observations or milk yield and quality information can help managers to notice clear abnormalities or clinical signs such as lameness or mastitis, behavioral monitoring has a potential to capture minor changes in individuals and early signs of abnormality.…”

Extensive Sheep and Goat Production: The Role of Novel Technologies towards Sustainability and Animal Welfare

“…Indeed, real-time animal monitoring through PLF provides insight on animal welfare, particularly in situations dependent on a human intervention that call for action. These include, for instance, diseases and parasitism, imminent lambing, heat stress, or straying away from preferred areas and into areas notorious for predation [ 19 , 20 ]. In addition, there are also expectable gains in animal welfare surveillance and assessment protocols (e.g., AWIN) as well as legal obligations [ 21 ].…”

“…In addition, there are also expectable gains in animal welfare surveillance and assessment protocols (e.g., AWIN) as well as legal obligations [ 21 ]. Finally, the ability to monitor the behavior of animals in extensive grazing areas could be used to improve pasture management [ 20 , 22 ].…”