In general, motion sensors attached to the legs provide more information about different types of behaviour compared to sensors in collars that mainly provide information about the amount of activity. Several of the products have additional functions such as recording scald temperature or GPS position, which provide additional data to better detect deviations from the herd, escapes, rutting, lambing, feed intake and/or water intake.
There is great potential for further development, which could, for example, make it possible to assess the need for deworming at the individual level and thus reduce the need for deworming agents while ensuring good welfare and production.
Virtual fence
The products are sold at a fixed price but software is subject to a subscription fee. The number of sensors required differs depending on the purpose - for example, to register unrest in the herd, it is not necessary for all the animals to each carry a sensor. How and what data is sent from the sensors to the relevant software differs between products, as does how and if software for sheep has been developed. Nofence also fulfils the function of a virtual fence, which must be evaluated in a price comparison, and also means that the product is not currently approved in Sweden. Other factors to consider are the estimated lifetime and whether the sensors can be moved between different animals. Experience of how well the products work under Swedish conditions is lacking for most of the products.