Could using drones to herd sheep actually be better for the animal than traditional methods of shepherding? Researchers in Australia strap on heart rate monitors to sheep to find out…
Many farmers these days use drones to herd sheep. But there haven’t been many insights into how the sheep are interacting with the drone technology or what impact does the technology have on their welfare. And this is exactly what researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra set out to discover.
Interesting video: Jeremy Clarkson successfully herds sheep with a drone, until he doesn’t
Checking sheep stress levels with heart-rate monitors
Heart rate is a generally accepted indicator of stress in sheep. While the resting heart rate of the animal is around 80 beats per minute, when sheep are being vigorously driven, it’s common to see the heart rate go up to around 163 beats per minute on average. However, when alerted to the presence of working dogs, a sheep’s…
