The Effects of Dairy Heifer Age at Training on Rate of Learning and Retention of Learning in a Virtual Fencing Feed Attractant Trial

Verdon, Megan; Rawnsley, RP

doi:10.3389/fanim.2020.618070

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“… 27 Verdon et al (2020) [ 181 ] Australia Study shows that cows that have had prior experience with electric fences learn the virtual fence techniques much faster. 28 Verdon and Rawnsley, (2020) [ 220 ] Australia Older heifers (22 months) learn to avoid the electrical stimuli quicker than younger animals (12 months). When the younger animals were re-trained at 22 months, they did not show a significant difference compared to the original 22-month animals.…”

Section: Table A1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Current and Future Approaches to Mitigate Conflict between Humans and Asian Elephants: The Potential Use of Aversive Geofencing Devices

Mel

Seneweera²,

Mel³

et al. 2022

Animals

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Asian elephants are a principal cause of human-wildlife conflict. This results in the death/injury of elephants and humans and large-scale crop and property damage. Most current human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation tools lack the flexibility to accommodate the ecological needs of elephants and are ineffective at reducing HEC in the long-term. Here we review common HEC mitigation tools used in Asia and the potential of Aversive Geofencing Devices (AGDs) to manage problem elephants. AGDs can be configured to monitor animal movements in real-time and deliver auditory warnings followed by electric stimuli whenever animals attempt to move across user-specified virtual boundaries. Thus, AGDs are expected to condition elephants to avoid receiving shocks and keep them away from virtually fenced areas, while providing alternative routes that can be modified if required. Studies conducted using AGDs with other species provide an overview of their potential in conditioning wild animals. We recommend that the efficacy and welfare impact of AGDs be evaluated using captive elephants along with public perception of using AGDs on elephants as a means of addressing the inherent deficiencies of common HEC mitigation tools. If elephants could be successfully conditioned to avoid virtual fences, then AGDs could resolve many HEC incidents throughout Asia.

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Section: Table A1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Current and Future Approaches to Mitigate Conflict between Humans and Asian Elephants: The Potential Use of Aversive Geofencing Devices

Mel

Seneweera²,

Mel³

et al. 2022

Animals

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A narrative review of factors affecting the welfare of dairy cows in larger Australasian pasture-based production systems

Verdon,

Beggs

2024

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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On the basis of current growth trajectories, pasture-based dairies of the future are likely to be bigger, have higher stocking rates and feed more concentrate to cows. This review uses the five-domains framework to consider risks to the welfare of dairy cows in these larger intensified pasture-based production systems. The factors considered in this review can be broadly categorised as (1) emerging welfare risks that can be managed, (2) emerging welfare risks that require research to be managed, or (3) persisting and/or exacerbated welfare risks. First, large herds could be subject to welfare risks associated with more stock per labour unit, longer milking times and longer distances walked to and from the dairy. To counter this, the time that cows in large herds spend off pasture can be reduced by splitting the herd into several more manageable groups, and animal-monitoring technologies can help identify health challenges with a reduced stockperson to animal ratio. Cow body condition and productivity can be maintained at high stocking rates by improving pasture production and feeding a higher proportion of concentrate. The risk of ruminal acidosis may then be reduced by appropriate transition feeding regimes and rumen buffers. Second, ensuring social stability and reducing competition may become difficult as herd sizes increase and feeding becomes more intensive. The resulting variability in feed intake, increased agonistic behaviour and social stress present emerging risks to cow welfare. Research is needed to better understand the social behaviour of cows in large intensive pasture-based herds, and how the design of the pre-milking area, the feeding pad and pasture feeding regimes (i.e. quantity and timing of pasture allocation) can improve accessibility for more vulnerable animals. Finally, intensive pasture-based dairies of the future will continue to face welfare challenges relating to lameness, mastitis and cull-cow management, whereas risks due to environmental exposure may be exacerbated by the removal of shelterbelts to facilitate irrigation. These require continued efforts in research (e.g. ways of incorporating shelter into intensive grazing systems), development (e.g. pathway to market for aged beef) and extension (e.g. improved record keeping and benchmarking of lameness and mastitis).

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Stress indicators in dairy cows adapting to virtual fencing

Fuchs,

Stachowicz,

Schneider

et al. 2024

Journal of Animal Science

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Virtual fencing (VF) enables livestock grazing without physical fences by conditioning animals to a virtual boundary delimited with an audio tone (AT) and an electric pulse (EP). The present study followed the adaptation process of lactating dairy cows to a VF system with changing virtual boundaries and investigated its impact on animal welfare. Twenty cows were divided into stratified groups (2x VF; 2x electric fencing, EF) of 5 individuals. Each group grazed half-days in a separate EF paddock of comparable size during 3 days of acclimation (P0), followed by 21, 14, 14, and 7 days of experimental treatment (P1-4). At the start of the trial, all cows were equipped with an IceQube pedometer (Peacock Technology Ltd, Stirling, UK) and a VF collar (Nofence AS, Batnfjordsøra, Norway). During P0, cows were accustomed to their first paddock with a deactivated virtual boundary and to wearing the sensors. In P1-4, an active virtual boundary for the VF groups, and a second EF for the EF groups was set up parallel to an outer EF within their paddock. Throughout the trial, the sensors continuously tracked cow positions and activity behavior at 15-min intervals. From P1 onwards, the VF collars additionally recorded each AT and EP per cow with a georeferenced time stamp. During P0-4, daily feed intake, body weight and milk yield were recorded in the barn. A total of 26 milk samples were collected per cow to determine milk cortisol levels. Behavioral observations were conducted for 2 h on 23 d to record agonistic behaviors, vocalizations, and excretions. The total number of stimuli per cow ranged from 37 to 225 ATs (mean ± SD: 1.9 ± 3.3 per day) and 3 to 11 EPs (mean ± SD: 0.1 ± 0.7 per day) throughout the trial. The maximum number of EPs per day was 8 for an individual cow and occurred once on D1. Mean EP/AT decreased by 55 % during the first three half-days of grazing and with each paddock change from 0.2 EP/AT in Week 1 to 0.03, 0.02 and 0 EP/AT in Week 4, 6, and 8, respectively. Linear and Generalized Mixed Effects-Models revealed that milk yield and cortisol, feed intake, body weight, and activity and lying behavior did not significantly differ between VF and EF groups. A higher number of agonistic behaviors were observed in the VF groups when the VF system was activated. However, due to the short observation periods only few contacts were observed in total. Overall, all cows adapted to the VF system without evidence of lasting adverse effects on animal welfare.

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The Effects of Dairy Heifer Age at Training on Rate of Learning and Retention of Learning in a Virtual Fencing Feed Attractant Trial

Cited by 5 publications

References 29 publications

Current and Future Approaches to Mitigate Conflict between Humans and Asian Elephants: The Potential Use of Aversive Geofencing Devices

Current and Future Approaches to Mitigate Conflict between Humans and Asian Elephants: The Potential Use of Aversive Geofencing Devices

A narrative review of factors affecting the welfare of dairy cows in larger Australasian pasture-based production systems

Stress indicators in dairy cows adapting to virtual fencing

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