New high-tech 'fashion accessories' for Braunton Burrows cows

Cows on Braunton Burrows are now sporting swanky new collars that use state-of-the-art technology to direct the cattle where needed – and away from snacking on rare orchids or wildflowers.

The GPS collars use the humane NoFence system which creates a ‘virtual fence’ the animals learn to stay away from – emitting a warning note and then if necessary a mild electric pulse that turns them away from the boundary.

It quickly trains cattle to stay away from certain areas and the virtual boundary can bet set up on a mobile device app and transmitted to the collars, keeping the cows in the right areas and also enabling the farmer to track their location at all times.

The new neck accessories will play a role not just in the future of cattle management on the Burrows, but also how the site works in terms of natural land management.

The collars have been jointly funded by the Christie Estate, which owns the Burrows and the North Devon Coast National Landscape Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme (FiPL) funding via DEFRA.

New Burrrow’s grazier, Nick Kennard, brings all his experience of working with his family’s Woolacombe based herd, which has been fitted with GPS collars since 2021.

Over the coming months, the Burrows Facebook page will follow the journey as Nick and his team train the cows.

For now, the cows are just getting used to having the collars on, with the virtual boundary mirroring the existing fence line. During this time it is important the cows are not disturbed by walkers and dogs, especially as the Burrows herd will be calving through April and May.

There are no plans to remove existing fencing on the Burrows, but there are several benefits of using GPS collars within the 1,000 hectare site. The new collars will allow better monitoring of cow movements, which is a plus for ensuring they are safe and well.

It also means grazing areas within the zones can be better targeted to keep scrub growth down. Once trained, it will also be possible to prevent the cows munching on patches of wildflowers, such as rare orchids, that the Burrows is famous for.

Joe Newberry, national landscapes officer said: “The FiPL grant programme is a great opportunity for landowners and farmers within the National Landscape to work creatively to improve their land for nature, mitigate the impacts of climate change, or help people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and cultural heritage in the area.

“The programme is currently open for applications and we would love to hear from those we haven’t yet worked with.”

For more information about North Devon programme FiPL, visit our www.northdevoncoast-nl.org.uk/farming-protected-landscapes or email joe.newberry@devon.gov.uk