Agriculture has emerged as a major growth sector in the global drone industry, with unmanned aircraft increasingly deployed to manage crop development from seeding and spraying to cultivation and even packaging.  But drones are also becoming critical adjuncts to livestock management, a role that has received far less attention in the media and the trade press.

The range of missions that drones can perform varies, depending on a farmer’s needs and the drone technology available.  The most common initial role for drones was in livestock monitoring and protection.  With a UAV, farmers can periodically survey their property to keep track of wayward animals, including cows and sheep.  They can also monitor the property’s perimeter and fencing to ensure that their precious animals are properly penned.

With thermal imaging cameras attached to their drones, they can track down those that escape and also identify potential predators lurking nearby. With autonomous technology, the drones can perform these missions at periodical intervals, without the need for remote piloting.

As drone sensor and camera technology have advanced, some farmers have expanded drone use into ongoing aerial monitoring of their livestock’s health. And with RFID tags and GPS, farmers can monitor their animals continuously, without the need for close-in flying which can startle and disrupt the herds.  While cows remain relatively unperturbed as long as drones fly overhead at a safe altitude, horses are known to become skittish and may suddenly bolt, causing damage to themselves and to farm property.

Nevertheless, some industry experts also envision a role for drones in livestock herding. John Church, an associate professor of natural resource science at a university in British Columbia, says farmers in Canada are experimenting widely with drones because of the enormous cost savings involved – especially in reducing the need for farm labor – as well as their contribution to enhanced sustainability.  Some farmers he knows are using their drones to round up their cattle and steer them to a pen or pasture.

“It is very effective; you just lower the drone to where the cattle can feel the prop wash, and they move away from it,” Church said.   Other drone operators have recorded the sounds of barking dogs and then blare those sounds at their herds with a loudspeaker attached to a drone.

The downside, he notes, is that cows can come to fear the drone and just the noise of its approach can lead them to stray further away.  “I prefer to use drones as an observational tool, rather than as a flying border collie, but producers can decide how they want to use these tools,” he adds.

The degree of observation and analysis that drones can provide is truly remarkable.  Drones equipped with thermal imaging sensors can circle around a cow and estimate its weight.  Drones can also measure heat stress and obtain a cow’s respiration rate and body temperature.  One company is discussing the use of boluses that can be inserted into a cow and used to monitor all of its body movements and functions.  A drone, using GPS, can then fly directly to an individual cow to perform whatever medical attention may be needed.

Church himself began using drones in livestock management about ten years ago.  Since then, he’s seen remarkable improvements in drone technology that make UAVs indispensable for farm management.  Some companies, like DLSRPros, now specialize in the manufacture, sale and leasing of livestock management drones.

DSLRPros offers a full array of drone services for livestock, including herd monitoring, health assessments and overall pasture management.  Using drone-based data, the company helps farmers survey their property to identify optimal areas for livestock relocation in the event of floods, wildfires or other emergencies. The company can even help farmers identify the best breeding partners for their livestock and then track the success of their breeding efforts.

In addition to teaching his students about livestock and new technology, Church gives workshops in Sun Valley, Idaho for the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association at the group’s annual meeting.