Exploring virtual fencing in Northern Sweden for dairy and beef cattle by assessing local conditions for animals, technology and pastures

Northern Sweden’s short but lush summer offers ideal conditions for grazing livestock. The long daylight hours and cool climate create high grass yields and a comfortable environment for cattle. Yet, managing grazing in this region presents challenges. The landscape is diverse and often uneven, making it costly and difficult to build traditional fences that keep animals safely within their pastures.

To address this, researchers are exploring virtual fencing — a high-tech solution that could transform pasture management in the North. Instead of wooden or wire fences, virtual fencing uses GPS collars fitted to cattle. These collars, powered by solar cells and small batteries, connect via mobile networks. Farmers can then establish “invisible” boundaries using a mobile app.

When an animal approaches the virtual boundary, it first hears an audio cue. If it ignores the warning and continues forward, it receives a mild electrical impulse. Over time, the animals learn to associate the sound with the boundary and remain within the designated area without the need for physical fences.

This technology could make pasture-based livestock farming more flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable, especially in regions where traditional fencing is impractical. Virtual fencing can also support more precise grazing systems, such as strip grazing, while providing valuable data on animal movement, location, and behaviour.

Testing Technology in the North

Virtual fencing has never before been tested under northern conditions, where cold weather, dense vegetation, and limited mobile coverage may affect both animal behaviour and the reliability of the technology. This project therefore aims to evaluate how virtual fencing systems perform in real-life farming contexts across Northern Sweden — from commercial beef and dairy farms to university research sites.

A Five-Phase Research Journey

Running from 2024 to 2027, the project consists of five phases designed to build knowledge and practical insights step by step:

Phase I – Technology testing:

Conducted without animals, this phase focuses on evaluating GPS accuracy, network reliability, and battery performance under cold and cloudy northern conditions.

Phase II – Beef farm trial:

Tests how the collars perform on semi-natural pastures under commercial beef farming conditions.

Phase III – Dairy case study:

Explores how the technology can be integrated into robotic milking systems at a commercial dairy farm.

Phase IV – University farm experiments:

Two experiments will be conducted at SLU’s Röbäcksdalen Research Farm:
The first with young heifers (4.5–10 months), focusing on animal welfare, behaviour, and pasture intake.
The second with lactating dairy cows, examining feed intake, milk production, pasture utilisation, animal movement, and behaviour, as well as how the technology integrates with other monitoring systems.

A Collaboration for Innovation and Sustainability

The project is part of the SustAinimals Grazing Living Lab Norr (LINK OUR GLL) and brings together researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå University, RISE, and Nord University in Norway. By combining expertise in animal science, technology, and environmental research, the team aims to develop innovative grazing systems that enhance farm profitability, improve animal welfare, and support biodiversity across the northern landscape.

Project Facts

• Main applicant: Juana Chagas, SLU TVH, Umeå (LINK MY CV)
• Co-applicants: Mårten Hetta (THV, SLU), Karly Liffen (THV, SLU), Julianne Oliveira (VPE, SLU), Keni Ren (Umeå University)
• Collaborating researchers: Emma Ternman (Nord University) and Lotten Wahlund (RISE)
• Project title: Exploring virtual fencing in Northern Sweden for dairy and beef cattle by assessing local conditions for animals, technology and pastures
• Funding: Regional Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden (~SEK 2,000,000) and Kempestiftelserna (~SEK 1,000,000)
• Stakeholder collaborators: Monil, Axfood, and Norrmejerier

Contact information: 

Juana.chagas@slu.se, +460702576589

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