Course Modules

  • Understanding Stockmanship

    An in-depth exploration of stockmanship covering animal behavior, communication, low-stress handling, safety, adaptability, livestock anatomy, and the importance of training and experience for effective livestock management.

  • Understanding the Technology

    Focus on essential drone features for mustering including flight time, range, payload capacity, obstacle avoidance, camera quality, real-time transmission, autonomy, durability, regulations compliance, and user interface.

  • Flying Skills

    Highlighting the necessary piloting skills for effective drone mustering such as precision flying, spatial awareness, quick decision-making, adaptability, technical proficiency, regulatory knowledge, patience, focus, and the importance of experience.

  • Basic Herding Animal Instincts

    Explore predator-prey dynamics, flight zones, mob psychology, positioning, applying and releasing pressure, and the effects of pressure on mindset and responsiveness.

  • First Contact - Starting the Animals

    Techniques for initiating contact with livestock and transitioning them from a defensive to a receptive state, emphasising the importance of initiating movement and establishing a positive mindset for cooperative behaviour.

  • Mobbing Up and Driving

    Understanding and guiding animals as a cohesive mob, addressing challenges, applying pressure, creating good movement, and the philosophy of escorting rather than chasing animals toward their destination.

  • Yard Work

    Effective yard handling techniques, emphasising gentle approaches, allowing animals to make their own decisions, avoiding forcing or pushing, and how yard handling affects behaviour in the paddock.

  • Taking Back and Settling in Paddock

    Understanding the impact of leaving animals in a particular mindset, utilising drones for settlement, and recognising signs of settled behaviour (grazing in all directions).

  • Working Different Species and Different Terrain

    Adapting stockmanship techniques for various animal species and terrains, focusing on the importance of adjusting approaches based on specific characteristics and environments.

  • Training the Animals

    Engaging animals with the drone, teaching relaxed movement and confidence in directions, aiming to achieve straight movement away from pressure.

COMING SOON

SkyKelpie Aerial Stockmanship Masterclass

Delving into specific facets of aerial stockmanship, providing practical insights, techniques, and strategies to ensure effective and ethical livestock management through drone technology. 

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More resources coming soon.

G’day I’m Luke the founder of SkyKelpie. Welcome to the world of drone mustering and aerial stockmanship. We’re building a range of products and services that will help livestock handlers unlock the numerous benefits drone mustering has to offer. Join us for the ride: skykelpie.com/sign-up

G’day from SkyKelpie

CASA regulations can be really confusing. Something really handy to know when using drones in agriculture is: The Landholder Rule. It's your job as a drone pilot to make sure you're following the relevant rules and regulations.

Watch CASA’s Drone safety rules and standard operating conditions

The Landholder Rule

Drones have proven to be an effective tool for mustering livestock, if they are used right. The key is knowing how to correctly position the drone around the animals to apply and release pressure so the livestock willingly do what we want. In turn, they'll remain light and responsive to the drone. This is what we call aerial stockmanship.

Intro to Aerial Stockmanship

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