Indoor- outdoor balance in rangeland livestock farming
During the first DIGI-Rangeland transnational workshop held in Romania in November 2025, five farmers from Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Iceland shared experiences regarding the "indoor-outdoor balance“ in rangeland livestock production systems. Even in extensive rangeland livestock production systems there is a need to house livestock occasionally for management purpose or for short or long periods due to bad weather and/or poor grazing conditions. Good control of this is important with respect to animal welfare and productivity, grazing and land management. Many of the DTIs available for ruminant livestock need to be suited both for indoor and outdoor use. DTI can also assist in optimising the overall balance between indoor and outdoor periods in ruminant livestock production systems. In Switzerland, digital Rising Plate Meter is used for measuring grass growth and is useful for making decisions about grasing in general, not at least to find out when it is time to end the indoor period and start grasing. Drones with digital cameras can be used for the same purpose in larger areas. GPS-tracking of animals is useful in many ways, for example when gathering animals from rangeland areas at the onset of an indoor feeding period. Virtual fencing could be a good tool for controlling pasture use on cultivated or semi-cultivated land close to farms in the spring and/or autumn periods between indoor feeding and rangeland grazing. EID- controlled access to feed supplements is much used in dairy cattle barns but needs to be better implemented for sheep, goats and for outdoor use in general. Cameras for accessing body condition scores, connected to animal EIDs are promishing. Automatic live weight assessment with weighing cells strategically placed at feeding or drinking stations and working with animal EID can be useful both indoor and outdoor. Surveillance cameras and (in some cases) sensors are well accepted for monitoring animal behaviour, especially indoors.
Additional information
The DIGI-Rangeland project brings together partners from 10 countries, coordinating national networks (France, Romania, Greece, Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland), and also disseminating its knowledge within the Balkan network with its Croatian partner. Consult our publications and documents on the project website: https://digirangeland.eu
DIGItal innovation and data technology network for RANGELAND livestock farming systems
Ongoing | 2025-2029
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- France, Romania, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Iceland, Norway, United kingdom, Switzerland