What’s being monitored in the virtual fencing trial… and why

The trial will be monitored to ensure the technology and practices are effective in improving drought resilience capacity, and to ensure that the design and demonstration of the trial is responsive and applicable to graziers.

A range of tools and strategies are being adopted including walkover weighing systems, faecal NIRS testing and land condition monitoring, to determine the most drought-resilient grazing systems and pasture varieties to maximise production and welfare, while reducing landscape vulnerability.

The collars’ inbuilt accelerometers and telemetry will also provide non-invasive and remote monitoring of livestock including animal behaviour, activity and energy expenditure on an individual level.

Telemetric data for individual cattle, in conjunction with faecal NIRS, weigh-ins at two or three monthly intervals and land condition assessment, will determine how preferential grazing patterns under various conditions impact cattle health and weight. This will better inform graziers on the needs of various cattle classes, and the best time to rotate cattle to minimise potential for condition loss.