Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
      • Whatever happened to?
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • National Arable and Grassland Awards
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. June 2025 issue
      2. Cereals event guide 2025
      3. May 2025 issue
      4. April 2025 issue
      5. March 2025 issue
      6. 2025 Tyre Developments supplement
      7. February 2025 issue
      8. National Arable and Grassland Awards supplement
      9. January 2025 issue
      10. December 2024 issue
      11. November 2024 issue
      12. October 2024 issue
      13. September 2024 issue
      14. August 2024 Issue
      15. 2024 Drills and Seeds supplement
      16. July 2024 Issue
      17. Cereals Supplement
      18. June 2024 Issue
      19. May 2024 Issue
      20. April 2024 Issue
      21. Tyres and Tracks Supplement
      22. March 2024 Issue
      23. National Arable & Grassland Award – Meet the Finalists
      24. February 2024 Issue
      25. January 2024 Issue
      26. December 2023
      27. Agritechnica Preview Supplement
      28. November 2023
      29. October 2023
      Featured

      Cereals event guide 2025 available now

      By Matthew TiltJune 20, 2025
      Recent

      Cereals event guide 2025 available now

      June 20, 2025

      June 2025 issue available now

      June 2, 2025

      May 2025 issue available now

      May 1, 2025
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Livestock

    Fencing to go virtual in trials on Scottish hill units

    John SwireBy John SwireMarch 16, 20203 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    The potential of virtual fencing, pitched as the next big technology for livestock and hill farmers in Scotland, is being explored in a practical situation ‘on the ground’ by a farmer-led group set up by SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) with the support of Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) funding. Virtual fencing, which has been extensively researched by SRUC, is a way of managing herd movement through collars and online software more effectively than with physical fencing.

    The technology involves a combination of GPS collars, cloud computing and online software to control where livestock grazes. A boundary is ‘drawn’ on the farmer’s smartphone and when the animal approaches that boundary the GPS collar gives audio-warning stimuli, followed by a mild electric pulse if the animal continues. It has been trialled principally on cows in New Zealand, Australia and Norway so far but not yet in a large-scale commercial hill herd in the UK.

    Malcolm MacDonald of SAC Consulting, who is co-ordinating the trial group of five Highland and Island hill farmers and crofters, said:  “A lot of research has been undertaken into virtual fencing over the last 20 years, but it has yet to be proved in commercial use. It is in the early stages of adoption in places like New Zealand and Norway and it makes total sense for making extensive hill grazing in Scotland easier to manage. It saves time and labour, can protect environmentally sensitive areas and improves herd management as farmers can monitor their stock from their smartphone or tablet. What we want to discover through the trial group is if it’s a practical, affordable solution for hill farmers and crofters in the UK.”

    Virtual fencing will make it more practical for hill farmers to manage extensive areas and for crofters to manage common grazing. It also offers a less time- and labour-intensive means of virtual paddock-grazing or gathering stock with a slowly moving virtual fence-line. The closest to market are NoFence in Norway and e-shepherd in Australia and New Zealand, with others under development.

    “If there is an appetite for this technology, our farmers as a group – and others interested – will have greater buying power to make it a more affordable solution for their businesses,” said Mr MacDonald.

    The group will initially be trialling collars from late March. If these trials show potential, SAC Consulting will be applying for further funding to support greater research of virtual fencing technology in practical situations.

    The RISS project benefits from the extensive research already undertaken into virtual fencing, including by SRUC over the last 15 years. Dr Tony Waterhouse, consultant to the project and specialising in livestock systems particularly in the uplands, said:

    “This could make a real difference to hard-pressed upland farmers. Having the capability to quickly find their cattle for normal daily checks and to graze cattle where physical fence lines are just not practical have been some of the key priorities for farmers we have spoken to. This is a sophisticated means of managing their stock with the peace of mind of being able to see it all working on their smartphones. Research shows that stock learns the system in 24 hours and is not stressed by it, so overall, from the findings so far, I think the system is also better for animal welfare than wire-based systems.”

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleUK beef could soon be heading to the US
    Next Article Deadline approaching for Hill Ram Scheme
    John Swire

    Read Similar Stories

    Funded vet visits to help farmers tackle endemic diseases

    June 26, 2025

    Spread-a-Bale launches new high performance spreader

    June 23, 2025

    Cereals event guide 2025 available now

    June 20, 2025
    Most Read Stories

    Pressure builds to reverse inheritance tax plans

    June 30, 2025

    Defra doubles funding to tackle agricultural pollution

    June 30, 2025

    Agrovista acquires Zantra Holdings Ltd

    June 30, 2025
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

    Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • Farmers Weekly
    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.