You have probably read about robots replacing human labor as a new era of automation takes root in one industry after another. But a new report suggests humans are not the only ones who might lose their jobs. In New Zealand, farmers are using drones to herd and monitor livestock, assuming a job that highly intelligent dogs have held for more than a century. The robots have not replaced the dogs entirely, Radio New Zealand reports, but they have appropriated one of the animal's most potent tools: barking. The DJI Mavic Enterprise, a $3,500 drone favored by farmers, has a feature that lets the machine record sounds and play them over a loud speaker, giving the machine the ability to mimic its canine counterparts.

Lambeth's employer, Ben Crossley, confirmed that his fourth-generation farm is indeed using drones to control sheep. One favored model: the DJI Mavic Enterprise, which is already outfitted to play sounds -- such as barking -- over a speaker. The Washington Post noted that farmers are already using drones around the world for a variety of farming tasks, *including* surveying crops. The Washington Post noted that farmers are already using drones around the world for a variety of farming tasks, including surveying crops. Having the devices deal directly with animals is less common -- but it could be a vision of the future of agriculture.

A New Zealand made mobile app is being used by local dairy farmers to replace veterinarians. Available on the App Store, the Betty app uses machine learning algorithms to help dairy farmers diagnose sick cows in their herd. Farmers using the app are presented with series of questions, with the response combined with regional farm and weather data to produce a list of the most likely causes of disease in their animals. Betty's creator, Dr. Jonathan Wong, said the idea was born out of frustration, while he was working as a dairy veterinarian. "There are a lot of farmers out there who are reluctant to call a vet early, especially if a problem is perceived to be minor. With Betty we can help farmers decide whether or not their sick cow is an emergency and to take immediate action, or connect them with a local vet if need be."