GPS livestock tracking: an opportunity for a coordinated approach to research, development and extension

GPS tracking devices have been available as a research tool for many years, however, their use for livestock research has been limited by the high unit cost coupled with the requirement for adequate distribution amongst a herd or flock. In the last few years the development of low-cost, GPS chips has resulted in a growth of research activity, especially as researchers take advantage of the developments in GPS technology in allied industries, for example mobile phone telecommunications. Simple store-on-board systems have provided the main platform for GPS livestock tracking to date, however there are GPS and telemetry systems currently being developed that will, in the future provide real-time location data and integration with other sensors at a price appropriate for herd/flock-wide deployment in livestock industries.