The use of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) technology to investigate feed resource use by sheep as a potential welfare indicator.

Potential uses of UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags in small ruminants have been explored as part of the EU Horizon 2020 funded project TechCare. The value of using this technology to assess animal behaviour and potentially detect any changes, in an extensive system, was investigated. UHF tags were attached to 49 mixed-age Lleyn ewes in late January 2023. The ewes were grazing in an unimproved field, of approximately 15.6ha, with access to additional hay and high energy feed buckets. A UHF reader was set-up in the field attached to two antennas, each placed above the feed buckets. Visits by each ewe to the feed buckets were monitored during the day (with the power pack removed and charged overnight before being deployed again the next day). The animals were monitored daily (Monday to Friday) for one month. Live weights and body condition scores were collected at the start of the trial and then again fortnightly until the end of the trial. Weather data (rainfall and temperature) was also available from a nearby weather station. Preliminary results, using the first week of data collected, indicate that weather conditions potentially affect the number of visits made to the feed buckets with less visits recorded on days when the rainfall was higher. In addition, the age of the ewe was also significant (p<0.05) in relation to the number of visits recorded during the week of data collection. Younger ewes recorded fewer visits during the first week when compared with older ewes. The relationship between the number of visits recorded with live weight and body condition score changes was also investigated, but no significant effect was observed (p>0.05). Although the UHF technology has allowed us to do some preliminary investigation into ewe behaviour, with promising links to other welfare indicators, the issues experienced with the equipment, particularly those associated with battery life and water damage, would need to be considered for future trials using the equipment in extensive systems.