Use of New Technologies to Determine the Locomotion Energy Expenditure and Livestock Activity Patterns of Free-Grazing Sheep in Mountain Pastures

Virginia Larraz (), Olivia Barrantes and Ramón Reiné
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Virginia Larraz: Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
Olivia Barrantes: Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
Ramón Reiné: Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: This study assessed the daily energy expenditure and activity of sheep in mountain pastures in the Pyrenees (Spain), using Global Positioning System (GPS) and accelerometer data. Sheep traveled an average of 9.6 km daily, and the average daily energy expenditure due to locomotion was 3.20 MJ.day −1 . Activity exhibited a bimodal grazing pattern, peaking in early morning and late afternoon, with reduced movement at midday and night. Despite an average loss of 0.65 points of the body condition score (BCS), most sheep remained within the optimal range. This study demonstrates the substantial energy demands of sheep grazing in the rugged terrain of mountain pastures and the effectiveness of GPS and accelerometer technology in capturing detailed activity patterns, providing insights for optimizing grazing strategies and livestock management.

Keywords: behavioral patterns; ovine; GPS; accelerometers; body condition score; grasslands; grazing management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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