Spatial Distribution and Hierarchical Behaviour of Cattle Using a Virtual Fence System.

Simple Summary: In recent years, the interest in virtual fencing systems for flexible animal enclosure management has increased. However, implementing such systems requires significant investment due to the need for individual collars, hindering large-scale adoption. This study examines the spatial distribution of a cow herd using GPS locations from the Nofence© system, aiming to minimize the number of collars required by identifying patterns in positions and ranks to derive a hierarchy. Contrary to expectations, no distinct pattern emerged, suggesting future studies should focus on individual interactions rather than viewing the herd as a single unit. Interest in virtual fencing has increased due to its flexibility for agriculture and rewilding. However, systems like Nofence© require large financial investments, and the need for individual collars complicates large-scale use. If cattle herds maintain cohesive groups around leading individuals, fewer collars could be used, thereby enhancing cost efficiency. This study investigates the pattern in spatial distribution in a herd of 17 Angus cows on Fanø in Denmark with GPS locations, using a Nofence© system. The aim of this paper is to determine how individuals position themselves in a herd, spatially, and identify a pattern in ranks. The method used in this study examines the distances between an individual to the rest of the herdmates using nearest neighbour and descriptive statistics. Contrary to expectations, this study did not reveal a distinct pattern in herd distribution. While some tendencies in spatial distribution patterns were observed, only a low concordance could be found ( W = 0.15 , p < 0.001 ), indicating great variability in the cattle's ranks. A cumulative curve of the ranks estimated over the entire periods, however, allowed a rough estimation of the hierarchy and allowed identification of the highest-ranked cows, making the use of a cumulative curve a possible solution to finding the high-ranked cows. This research underscores the complexity of cattle social structures and highlights the need for extended observation periods and alternative methodologies to enhance the cost-effectiveness and scalability of virtual fencing in agricultural and rewilding contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]