Behavioral Adaptations of Nursing Brangus Cows to Virtual Fencing: Insights from a Training Deployment Phase
Shelemia Nyamuryekung’e,
Andrew Cox,
Andres Perea,
Richard Estell,
Andres F. Cibils,
John P. Holland,
Tony Waterhouse,
Glenn Duff,
Micah Funk,
Matthew M. McIntosh,
Sheri Spiegal,
Brandon Bestelmeyer,
Santiago Utsumi
Affiliations
Shelemia Nyamuryekung’e
Division of Food Production and Society, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), PB 115, N-1431 Ås, Norway
Andrew Cox
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Andres Perea
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Richard Estell
United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Andres F. Cibils
United States Department of Agriculture Southern Plains Climate Hub, United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center, El Reno, OK 73036, USA
John P. Holland
SRUC Hill and Mountain Research Centre, Scotland’s Rural College, Kirkton Farm, Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RU, UK
Tony Waterhouse
SRUC Hill and Mountain Research Centre, Scotland’s Rural College, Kirkton Farm, Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RU, UK
Glenn Duff
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Micah Funk
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Matthew M. McIntosh
United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Sheri Spiegal
United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Brandon Bestelmeyer
United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Santiago Utsumi
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
Virtual fencing systems have emerged as a promising technology for managing the distribution of livestock in extensive grazing environments. This study provides comprehensive documentation of the learning process involving two conditional behavioral mechanisms and the documentation of efficient, effective, and safe animal training for virtual fence applications on nursing Brangus cows. Two hypotheses were examined: (1) animals would learn to avoid restricted zones by increasing their use of containment zones within a virtual fence polygon, and (2) animals would progressively receive fewer audio-electric cues over time and increasingly rely on auditory cues for behavioral modification. Data from GPS coordinates, behavioral metrics derived from the collar data, and cueing events were analyzed to evaluate these hypotheses. The results supported hypothesis 1, revealing that virtual fence activation significantly increased the time spent in containment zones and reduced time in restricted zones compared to when the virtual fence was deactivated. Concurrently, behavioral metrics mirrored these findings, with cows adjusting their daily travel distances, exploration area, and cumulative activity counts in response to the allocation of areas with different virtual fence configurations. Hypothesis 2 was also supported by the results, with a decrease in cueing events over time and increased reliance with animals on audio cueing to avert receiving the mild electric pulse. These outcomes underscore the rapid learning capabilities of groups of nursing cows in responding to virtual fence boundaries.
