@conference {JRN55423,
	title = {Virtual fencing of nursing cattle grazing large pastures of Chihuahuan Desert rangelands},
	booktitle = {Society for Range Management},
	year = {2022},
	abstract = {Virtual fencing (VF) is an emerging technology to control livestock dispersal. This technology includes collars that employ auditory-electric pulse cues to deter animals from trespassing into excluded zones. Our objective was to investigate VF application on extensive rangelands. VF-trained nursing Brangus cows were grazed in a 480 ha pasture at the New Mexico State University{\textquoteright}s Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center with the VF deactivated (control) or activated using three different polygon configurations. The VF-activated polygons excluded cattle from grazing either the East (209ha), West (200ha), or preferred Vegetation PV (80ha) within the pasture. Each pasture deployment lasted a week and the process was repeated on two groups of 11 and 18 cows, respectively. We analyzed 1) foraging behavior differences (control vs. VF-activated); 2) percentage of daily GPS locations within the excluded zones (control vs. VF-activated); and 3) number of auditory-electric pulses emitted during each VF-activated configuration (Excluded blocks East, West, or PV). The data were analyzed via an ANOVA to compare daily-derived variables. Cattle covered larger areas during control vs. VF-activated deployments (134.2 vs. 86.9ha P=0.04) with no differences in distance traveled nor cumulative activity index derived from the in-built motion sensors. When compared to the control, all VF-activated configurations significantly reduced the percentage of GPS positions within the excluded zone (East 52.27 vs. 0.67\%GPS P0<.01; West 18.49 vs. 0.49\%GPS P<0.01; PV 19.90 vs. 3.04\%GPS P<0.01; control vs. VF-activated respectively). Significantly (P<0.01) higher audio and electric pulses (2.09, 0.51 respectively) were emitted during the PV trials compared to East (1.12, 0.17) or West (1.12, 0.14) blocks. In conclusion, VF holds promise in controlling spatial exploration patterns of cattle in extensive rangelands. Polygon configuration requires further research to understand trade-offs between animal welfare and effective management.},
	keywords = {cattle grazing, Chihuahuan Desert, large pastures, nursing, rangelands, virtual fencing},
	author = {Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e, Shelemia and Andrew Cox and Perea, A. and Matthew M. McIntosh and Richard E. Estell and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Holland, J. and Tony Waterhouse and G. Duff and M. Funk and Skye Aney and S. Spiegal and Brandon T Bestelmeyer and S. A. Utsumi}
}
@article {JRN55328,
	title = {Foraging behavior and body temperature of heritage vs. commercial beef cows in relation to desert ambient heat},
	journal = {Journal of Arid Environments},
	volume = {193},
	year = {2021},
	month = {6/20/2021},
	pages = {104565},
	abstract = {We studied foraging patterns of Raramuri Criollo (heritage breed, {\textquotedblleft}RC{\textquotedblright}) and Angus x Hereford (commercial beef breed, {\textquotedblleft}AH{\textquotedblright}) cows in relation to ambient heat and body temperature during summer (2016 and 2017) and winter (2017 and 2018) in the Chihuahuan Desert. Cows of each breed grazed separately in two adjacent pastures (~1100 ha) in a crossover design for four weeks in each season/year. Animals were fitted with temperature loggers attached to blank CIDRs (Controlled Internal Drug Release device) devoid of hormones that recorded body temperature (BodyT), and GPS collars that recorded position and ambient temperature (CollarT). All sensor data were logged at 10 min intervals. A landscape thermal map (LandT) was developed from Landsat satellite imagery for habitat analysis using GPS locations chosen by individual collared cows, and air temperature (AirT) was recorded by a nearby weather station. Data were analyzed within four daytime segments: dawn (sunrise {\textendash} 9AM); pre-noon (9AM {\textendash} noon); post-noon (noon {\textendash} 3PM); and dusk (3PM {\textendash} sunset). ANOVA was used to determine whether BodyT, CollarT, LandT selection, or animal movement variables within each of the four daily segments differed (P < 0.05) for RC vs. AH cows. BodyT and CollarT increased as day progressed in both seasons. During summer, RC had lower BodyT and higher CollarT than AH (P < 0.05) during the hottest hours of the day. Increasing AirT throughout the day was associated with selection of cooler LandT in RC but not AH during summer. In winter, both breeds selected warmer landscape locations as the day progressed. Compared to AH, RC cows traveled farther, at higher velocities, and spent more time grazing and traveling and less time resting, with largest breed differences observed during the hottest hours of summer days. These results suggest that Raramuri Criollo cows exhibited higher thermotolerance than did AH. Elevated ambient summer temperatures in the Chihuahuan Desert appear to impose fewer constraints on heritage RC movement patterns compared to mainstream commercial AH cows.},
	keywords = {Chihuahuan Desert, climate change, Raramuri Criollo, thermotolerance},
	doi = {10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104565},
	url = {files/bibliography/21-038.pdf},
	author = {S. Nyamuryekung{\textquoteright}e and Andr{\'e}s F. Cibils and Richard E. Estell and Matthew M. McIntosh and D. VanLeeuwen and Caitriana Steele and Amy L. Gonzalez and S. Spiegal and Leonel Avenda{\~n}o Reyes and Felipe A. Rodr{\'\i}g Almeida and Martha Anderson}
}
