Commercialisation of virtual fencing for livestock

The main benefits of virtual fencing for livestock are the reduction in physical infrastructure required on-farm, reduced need for physical fencing and electric fencing, additionally a reduction in labour inputs required for rotational grazing.

For example, less requirement for manually shifting animals and erecting electric fences, also the ability to manage livestock with precision, so targeted management of livestock within paddocks or exclusion of livestock from particular areas on-farm.

Virtual fencing is most established in cattle, with work underway in sheep, currently with a view to move into goats in the future.

Virtual fencing currently is not legal in South Australia, however, there is a review of the legislation underway with a view to change this in the future.

[John Cooper]

I'm John Cooper the Farm Manager here at Struan Research Centre which is SARDI’s high rainfall zone research centre with 1,400 hectares of 2 sites, 1,100 here at Struan, 300 hectares over at Kybyolite.

Kybyolite has been a research centre in this area since 1904 and Struan has taken over and used as a research centre from 1967, so we've mainly been looking at livestock research in high rainfall zones.

Struan's got a really proud history of beef cattle and prime lamb research.

Beef cattle we did a lot of early work with breed introductions when we first established and have been an active collaborator with MLA on a number of big projects in the beef cattle world. The last one being looking at cow efficiency in sheep.

We've done a lot of work on not so much new breeds but we're actively involved in the high fertility Booroola work of late, as well as a number of sheep worm internal parasite type things, so we've had a long history of that sort of stuff.

In Struan itself and Kybyolite we run about 5,000 ewes, 2,000 Merino ewes and 3,000 first-cross ewes, and have a cattle herd of about 150 breeders, and have a fattening operation which is either with Friesian bulls or steers, of which we usually put 800 to 900 a year through.

As a thumbnail sketch of Struan Research Centre there we are.

[Megan Willis]

I'm Megan Willis. I'm a Senior Research Officer here at Struan Research Centre with SARDI and we're working on a virtual fencing for livestock research project.

Struan Research Centre are hosting a research project on virtual fencing in sheep and cattle.

We're lucky enough to have the opportunity to build upon some really solid research that's been done interstate and in South Australia previously developing virtual fencing for sheep and cattle.

And now we're able to do some research trials looking at different commercial applications of virtual fencing, as well as assessing any animal wellbeing impacts that may arise.

The project here at Struan will be looking at assessing virtual fencing under a range of different conditions relevant to producers across South Australia.

So, we have our main research activities taking place here at Struan with some activities happening on the Eyre Peninsula as well as in the Far North of South Australia at Wintinna Station.

The main aim of the trials is to assess virtual fencing for use in sheep and cattle, both the commercial applications and wellbeing measures associated with that too.

As part of the project, we're working with commercial suppliers to deliver an outcome that is relevant to livestock producers and also to determine what early commercialisation of virtual fencing in South Australia might look like.

So, the project will be assessing the performance of virtual fencing under a range of conditions relevant to South Australia.

This includes rotational grazing of cattle both down here at Struan and in the Far North at Wintinna Station.

So, really reflecting on the 2 extremes at both end of the state, as well as looking at developing virtual fencing for sheep as well.

So, implementing an automated virtual fencing system within sheep and measuring the efficacy of that, as well as any wellbeing issues that may arise.

Virtual fencing is currently prohibited in South Australia under the current animal welfare legislation but there is a review underway that may change this in the future.

So, this science is really timely to build on the previous research that's been done and further assess virtual fencing, just to really make sure that this technology is appropriate for use in South Australia with minimal wellbeing impacts and solves a problem for producers in South Australia.