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No Fence Collars: Revolutionising Conservation at Cutacre Nature Reserve

Usain wearing his new collar

Project Officer for our exciting 'no-fence' cow collar scheme, Stephen Cartwright, updates us on how 'the boys' are doing.
Tufted vetch & meadow vetchling at Cutacre

Tufted vetch & meadow vetchling at Cutacre reserve

Cutacre Nature Reserve, managed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, is undergoing a transformation from an overgrazed grassland into a haven for wildlife. At the heart of this conservation success is our rare-breed herd of English Longhorn cattle, which graze the reserve in a sustainable manner. The introduction of innovative No Fence collars, in Spring this year, has further elevated our conservation efforts, allowing us to closely monitor and manage the cattle's activities with precision. The cattle have now gone off to pastures new for the winter, before returning to Cutacre next spring and this has given us the chance to stop and reflect on our first year with the new technology…

Grazing officer Mike Cunningham installing the collars in Spring 2023.

Grazing officer Mike Cunningham installing the collars in Spring 2023.

The cattle play a crucial role in shaping the landscape. Their selective grazing preferences contribute to a diverse sward composition and help prevent the dominance of highly competitive species, promoting a balanced and varied plant community within the reserve.

The game-changer in our conservation strategy has been the implementation of No Fence collars, generously funded by The Halpin Trust. The solar-powered collars allow for the creation of virtual fencing boundaries using GPS. These are set via an app using the mobile phone network which provides real-time tracking capabilities and an audio training element to guide animals in recognising virtual boundaries.

These collars have given us the confidence to allow cattle into the woodland and heathland on site for the first time, as we closely monitor their activities and ensure their impact aligns with our conservation goals.

Cattle grazing in heathland in November 2023

Cattle grazing in heathland in November 2023

In the woodland they have assisted in habitat restoration by breaking up soil surfaces and creating optimal conditions for seed germination and dispersal. In the heathland, their grazing has knocked back woody scrub and promoted a varied age structure of heather by trampling, saving significant time that would otherwise be spent on manual intervention by staff and volunteers.

In fact, saving time has been one of the key aspects of the collars as previously we had to check all the fenceposts on site to make sure they were secure every month. Cutacre has 4 miles of fencing with the checks involving traveling over rough ground, bramble, thorns and wading through ditches. With the collars, we now just need to check and maintain the outer fencing which is a much quicker and easier task which frees up our time considerably.

Close up of rush regrowth grazed by cattle in November 2023.

Close up of rush regrowth grazed by cattle in November 2023.

Additionally, our cattle spend most of the year roaming, emulating the ancient aurochs, and as such when we need to handle them for health checks, hoof trimming or to transport them to their winter pastures this can be a time-consuming task and potentially quite stressful for the animals. Using the collars, we simply start moving the virtual fence sporadically as the cattle move on under their own steam so that when we arrive on the morning to undertake any of the tasks, they will be waiting for us by the handling pen in readiness.

Rush regrowth grazed by cattle in November 2023.

Rush regrowth grazed by cattle in November 2023.

One of the standout benefits of the collars is the ability to influence the cattle’s' grazing behaviour. By using the virtual fence feature, we can guide the cattle to graze on regrowth of rushes, a task that was challenging without this technology as the cows would preferentially graze on grass. This strategic grazing approach aims to reduce the dominance of rush over time, contributing to a more balanced and diverse grassland.

Screenshot of No Fence app showing occurrences of cattle receiving an audio prompt to turn around before entering exclusion zone around kissing gate.

Screenshot of No Fence app showing occurrences of cattle receiving an audio prompt to turn around before entering exclusion zone around kissing gate.

A significant issue in previous years has been the effects that the cattle have when they congregate around access gates. As heavy animals they can cause significant poaching of the ground which leads to very muddy conditions for visitors. This has not been an issue this year however due to the ability to set virtual exclusion zones around gates which prevents access to the cattle.

Our ongoing efforts at the site involve sowing yellow rattle seed, a hemiparasitic plant that enables a more floristically diverse grassland. The collars have played a crucial role in ensuring targeted access to the seeded areas, promoting optimal seed-soil contact through trampling and boosting germination rates. Next year we will be able to do the reverse and exclude the cattle from this area whilst the plants are growing.

Volunteers sowing yellow rattle seed at Cutacre in August 2023.

Volunteers sowing yellow rattle seed at Cutacre in August 2023.

The GPS trackers have provided valuable insights into the behaviour of the cattle, greatly increasing the understanding of our project officers. This newfound intelligence allows for nuanced and informed management decisions, contributing not only to effective site management but also to the overall well-being of the animals.

English Longhorn cattle at Cutacre Nature Reserve in September 2023.

English Longhorn cattle at Cutacre Nature Reserve in September 2023.

The No Fence collars have transformed the way we manage and conserve Cutacre Nature Reserve. Beyond the immediate benefits for cattle management, these collars have proven instrumental in achieving our broader conservation goals, enhancing biodiversity, and creating a sustainable haven for wildlife.

 

The time saved thanks to this new technology will allow us to spend more time in 2024 on wildlife surveying to guide management. We will be focusing on undertaking plant and bird surveys.

If you would like to get involved as a volunteer with this, or practical volunteering, on Cutacre, please contact scartwright@lancswt.org.uk.

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