Digital tools for sheep grazing systems: customised digital toolkits, livestock farmers with varied opinions

Abstract

The use of digital tools could optimise farm management by facilitating data collection and processing. The literature provides an overall view of what digital tools represent in ruminant livestock farming and highlights the importance of studying digital toolkits. In sheep farming systems, the diversity of production systems could lead farmers to combine digital tools to meet their specific needs. This article examines how farmers use digital tools to understand how sheep farmers build their digital toolkits. The present study contributes to this objective by providing feedback on the tools used by sheep farmers and the integration of these tools into farms. The study was carried out in four French regions where sheep production is well established. A total of 75 surveys on farms were conducted, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics. A variety of digital tools were recorded, with each farm using, on average, three tools. The 22 tools identified were grouped into five categories. Digital management tools were the most widely used (85% of farmers used at least one tool in this category), while automation tools were the least used category. The diversity of tools observed may be due to the specific characteristics of each farm and the way farmers perceive the digital tools they use. An analysis of farmers’ digital toolkits, defined as all of the tools a farmer owns, highlights the absence of a standard configuration. Each farmer builds a digital toolkit tailored to their operating conditions and objectives. Furthermore, two levels of digital tool use emerged: digital tools integrated into the routine management of farms, which are used more frequently, and digital tools used with greater variability, reflecting targeted or periodic use. Future research into the data used by farmers could provide a better understanding of how they use digital tools to manage their flocks and contribute to the development of tools that align with their practices and needs. This would involve identifying the data used by farmers, their role in the decision-making process, and any changes (or lack thereof) in animal management and farmers’ work.