GPS collars making shepherds' lives 'much easier'

The use of GPS collar technology is transforming livestock management along the steep cliffsides of Jersey, according to local shepherds working with a regional conservation initiative.

The Grazing Project, operated in part by brothers Josh and Ben Voak, has spent the past three years implementing virtual fencing technology on the island. The system allows shepherds to manage large flocks of sheep on rugged terrain while eliminating the need for traditional physical fencing.

Currently, the project utilizes approximately 150 GPS collars as part of its management of a 600-sheep flock. The initiative began three years ago with an initial batch of 70 collars and has continuously expanded its use of the technology due to improvements in operational efficiency.

The system, originally developed in Norway by the company Nofence and tested extensively across the United Kingdom, relies on a smartphone application to establish invisible boundaries. When an animal nears the edge of the designated perimeter, the collar emits an auditory warning. If the animal continues past the boundary, the device delivers a mild electric shock. Additionally, the collars provide continuous location tracking, enabling shepherds to locate and count their animals quickly via the mobile app.

Josh Voak noted that the system has dramatically reduced the physical demands of shepherd work, particularly on steep cliffs and in areas densely covered with bracken or gorse. Previously, setting up temporary enclosures required manually carrying fence poles, wire, and heavy batteries up steep incline paths, a process that consumed hours of labor. Under the new system, shepherds simply upload the customized boundary map to the application before turning the flock out to pasture.

The project is now extending the trial to larger livestock. Four grazing cows are currently undergoing training to wear the GPS collars at the project's farm. Shepherds plan to deploy the cattle alongside the sheep on designated wetland sites and along Jersey's northern coast, while keeping them off the steeper cliffs.

Ben Voak stated that the combination of sheep and cattle grazing could open up new possibilities for land management and rewilding efforts across the island. He described the initiative as pioneering in terms of the scale of collar deployment and noted that the team maintains direct communication with the technology's developers to refine hardware components, such as straps and chains, based on field usage.

Virtual fencing technology has seen growing interest within the agricultural sector as a tool to prevent livestock escapes and manage remote pastureland. The system also gained public visibility after being featured on the documentary series Clarkson's Farm, where it was utilized to contain a herd of goats.