Farmers test out 'flying sheepdog'

13:16 mike 0 Comments

Farmers test out 'flying sheepdog'

30 March 2015 Last updated at 15:33 BST

It doesn't bark, and it doesn't bite, it doesn't need feeding - three of the benefits, says Paul Brennan, of using a drone as a sheepdog.

His video showing the shepherding of a flock of his brother's sheep has gone viral.

He told the BBC it worked "perfectly" in rounding up the animals on the farm near Dublin, Ireland.

The National Farmers' Union said it didn't think the idea would "take off".

"There may be a use to check-in on animals grazing on common land or in the hills but that's about the limit.

"The primary use will be in the arable sector rather than livestock at the moment.

"The reality is that a good sheepdog is a far better way to go about the job."