Topic 1: Introduction to Drones in Agriculture
5. Herd Management
5.1. A new kind of mustering
In many parts of Australia, particularly in the north, helicopters and light aircraft are used to herd cattle. Using drones to manage livestock is an obvious next step. Work is being done using drones along with devices such as GPS collars to track and monitor cattle from the air. As we covered in the Thermal imaging topic, advanced camera systems are giving farmers greater capability at lower cost.
Having drones move around a herd several times of the day checking for unhealthy or injured animals saves both time and money. Monitoring the health of animals by observing their behaviour can help identify health issues early. Animals lying down or separated from herd when normally massed in the group may indicate early onset of a problem. This daily analysis can occur at regular intervals, even if the terrain is impenetrable following floods or fire.
Watch this footage of a grazier in central Queensland. Will Wilson has mustered a thousand head of cattle just by lifting a finger, and it worked so well he is considering adding a full-time pilot to his workforce [2.27].
Watch this footage to see cattle mustering using drones.
Work is also being done using drones to muster cattle and manage the movement of stock around the property. Not only is this a cheap efficient method of farm management, but it also helps reduce the risk of farm injuries.
WHS statistics relating to quad and two-wheel bike injures are significant. Though this technology does not replace the need for farm staff, if can be used strategically to improve the work environment and overall productivity of the business.