Virtual fencing on trial in Co Tyrone

Co Tyrone-based beef finisher, Jack Dobson, is one of a number of farmers in NI currently trialling virtual fencing technology supplied by Norwegian company, Monil.

Monil is a startup business founded in 2022 and has come to market with a new design, where the technology is mounted on the top of the neck, as opposed to competitors who have a battery and receiver under the neck.

According to Monil, having the technology at the top of the neck means it is less exposed to wear and tear and more likely to maintain connection to a mobile network. It will also hold charge through the grazing season as it is powered by a battery linked to a solar panel.

In total, Monil has around 5,000 collars now in operation on farms in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the UK.

As well as the solar panel, the electronic unit has a GPS antenna and a speaker, while the collar is fitted with electrodes and a locking mechanism.

The system works by delivering sound signals (beeps) from the collar as an animal approaches the edge of a designated grazing area, followed by an electric pulse if it continues towards the boundary.

The farmer defines the boundary of the virtual fence via an app on their smartphone.

The collar must be connected to a mobile network to receive new instructions to move the fence. However, once the virtual fence is set up, it will function independently of the mobile network as long as the collar has enough battery power and global navigation satellite system (GPS) coverage.

Animals need to be trained and this is best done in a small field or paddock with the virtual fence set up on the inside of a permanent boundary or electric wire.

After a few days, the virtual fence should be moved further in – the aim is to ensure that animals turn at the first sound signal.

“We suggest the training should be done for at least a week.

“They will start to understand within a couple of days – they will respond to the sound,” Christoffer Grindheim from Monil told farmers attending a demonstration event on the Dobson farm.

He said the company don’t recommend putting the collars on calves under six months of age, although in a suckler situation, calves are unlikely to stray too far from mothers.

Escape

When an animal is at the boundary of the virtual fence, the collar will attempt a maximum of three rounds of beeps and electric pulses, but if it has not turned back, it will be registered as ‘escaped’ and a notification will be sent to the user’s mobile phone.

At this point, the collar stops emitting the sound and electric signals, allowing the animal to have free passage back to the herd. Once back with other animals, the fence is activated again.

“You can keep an eye on it on the app. They usually come back within a few minutes. When they come back they will be fenced again,” said Grindheim.

Development

He said the app is in continuous development and over time, the technology could be used to monitor heats, lameness and other animal health issues.

When fitting the collars, they should be loose enough to allow the collar to move around the neck – there is a counterweight within the locking mechanism, which helps to keep the electronic unit facing upwards.

The collars currently come with a two-year guarantee, although “we hope each collar will last five years, at least”, said Grindheim.

They are priced at £240 (€285) per unit, with a £40 (€48) annual service charge for each collar.

Among those trialling the Monil virtual fence is the 580ac hill farming operation owned by Foyle Food Group director, Wayne Acheson.

In total, 180 sucklers are run across land at Lough Fea Mountain and Goles Mountain in Co Tyrone.

A group of 26 cows and one bull had collars fitted in early June 2024.

According to Wilson Marshall from Foyle, the aim is to improve grassland management, forcing the cows to graze higher land.

The system also allows users to fence off sheughs or wet areas that might be dangerous to livestock and keeps the herd relatively close together, making it easier for the bull during breeding, said Marshall.

To date, there has only been one minor issue with a collar that needed replacement.

“The training period is essential and you still need the cattle to interact with where the fence is – don’t let the area get too big,” he advised.

When it comes to moving livestock in hill areas from one block of land to the next, cattle will gradually find their way to new pasture (over the course of a couple of days). However, sheep have to be physically pushed on.

Researchers have been involved in eight different studies over the last three years to assess virtual fencing of dairy cows, beef cattle, sucklers and sheep, confirmed Dr Francis Lively from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).

Summarising this work, Lively said the technology had the potential to significantly improve grass management and be used for conservation grazing in upland areas.

He said the initial training period was crucial to success, but that animals quickly adapted.

One of the studies utilised four- to five-month-old dairy-bred calves that had not previously been at grass. By day 14, only 2% to 3% of the calves were receiving an electric pulse. However, there was a lot of individual variation when it came to audio cues.

“Once the sound starts, some turn straight away, but others keep going a bit further,” said Lively.

In a study involving suckler cows and calves, he said the technology was an aid to weaning management as it was possible to graze the calves ahead of the cows and introduce meal in troughs.

Where studies crossed into a second season, animals quickly got used to the technology again.

“They can and did remember,” said Lively. Only one animal out of nearly 500 in the various studies did not train to the system, with researchers convinced the heifer was deaf.

Welfare

Across all the research, no significant differences were found between virtual and conventional electric fencing in terms of animal performance, activity or behaviour.

While some have expressed concerns about the use of electric pulses to control livestock and its potential impact on animal welfare, there is no indication of higher stress levels in the animals, said Lively.

He said there is still more research to be published, but, at present, “we don’t see any negative welfare for the animals”.

Pros

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