Thompson, Steve (author) and Centre for Community Networking Research, Monash University, Australia.
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2009-09-03
Published:
UK
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 177 Document Number: C30555
Notes:
Presented at the Prato CIRN Community Informatics Conference, Prato, Italy, November 4-6, 2009. 2 pages., Visual representation posted at: http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=82xXcgSjke4
Gorini, Alessandra (author), Mosso, Jose Luis (author), Mosso, Dejanira (author), Pineda, Erika (author), Ruiz, Norma Leticia (author), Ramiez, Miriam (author), Morales, Jose Luis (author), and Riva, Giuseppe (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2009
Published:
Mexico
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 181 Document Number: C36594
Wilms, Lisa (author), Komainda, Martin (author), Hamidi, Dina (author), Riesch, Friederike (author), Horn, Juliane (author), and Isselstein, Johannes (author)
Format:
Journal Article
Publication Date:
2024-04-15
Published:
USA: Oxford University Press
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 209 Document Number: D13552
11 pages, Virtual fencing (VF) is a modern fencing technology that requires the animal to wear a device (e.g., a collar) that emits acoustic signals to replace the visual cue of traditional physical fences (PF) and, if necessary, mild electric signals. The use of devices that provide electric signals leads to concerns regarding the welfare of virtually fenced animals. The objective of this review is to give an overview of the current state of VF research into the welfare and learning behavior of cattle. Therefore, a systematic literature search was conducted using two online databases and reference lists of relevant articles. Studies included were peer-reviewed and written in English, used beef or dairy cattle, and tested neck-mounted VF devices. Further inclusion criteria were a combination of audio and electrical signals and a setup as a pasture trial, which implied that animals grazed in groups on grassland for 4 h minimum while at least one fence side was virtually fenced. The eligible studies (n = 13) were assigned to one or two of the following categories: animal welfare (n studies = 8) or learning behavior (n studies = 9). As data availability for conducting a meta-analysis was not sufficient, a comparison of the means of welfare indicators (daily weight gain, daily lying time, steps per hour, daily number of lying bouts, and fecal cortisol metabolites [FCM]) for virtually and physically fenced animals was done instead. In an additional qualitative approach, the results from the welfare-related studies were assembled and discussed. For the learning behavior, the number of acoustic and electric signals and their ratio were used in a linear regression model with duration in days as a numeric predictor to assess the learning trends over time. There were no significant differences between VF and PF for most welfare indicators (except FCM with lower values for VF; P = 0.0165). The duration in days did not have a significant effect on the number of acoustic and electric signals. However, a significant effect of trial duration on the ratio of electric-to-acoustic signals (P = 0.0014) could be detected, resulting in a decreasing trend of the ratio over time, which suggests successful learning. Overall, we conclude that the VF research done so far is promising but is not yet sufficient to ensure that the technology could not have impacts on the welfare of certain cattle types. More research is necessary to investigate especially possible long-term effects of VF.
Leggette, Holli (author), Rutherford, Tracy (author), and Sudduth, Amanda (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2011-02-01
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 188 Document Number: D01503
Notes:
Paper presented in the Agricultural Communications Section of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists annual meeting, Corpus Christi,Texas, February 6-7, 2011. 24 pages.
Ripamonti, Laura A. (author), Maggiorini, Dario (author), Di Loreto, Ines. (author), and Centre for Community Networking Research, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2008-10-27
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 178 Document Number: C35690
Notes:
Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) Conference 2008, Prato, Italy, October 27-30, 2008. 20 pages.
