Using Virtual Fencing for Adaptive Multi Paddock Management
Knowing where your cattle are is a key starting point for determining how you expend resources. Using virtual fencing like Vence, Gallagher, or NoFence present a new way to work on grazing with precision. Also see GPS tag systems 701X, mOOvement, or GSAT Solar. Taking cues from the Art of Range podcast, where Jay Smith and Joel Yelich discuss using virtual fencing in action, we’ve taken some notes on making the most out of using virtual fencing (full episode below for the curious).
Pre-planning for using virtual fencing systems starts with mapping areas for grazing at different durations and with discrete exclusion zones
Excluded areas within the normal grazing area can include rocky, overly wet or riparian zones, and other off-limit territory
Cattle are creatures of habit, & where virtual fencing goes against their natural habit of movement users should expect some break-in or training period
Initial training can use physical fences overlaid with virtual lines to adjust the animals to the sound and then shock mechanism used with some virtual fencing systems
If animals escape, lassoing larger sections around the cattle using the virtual fencing system can help corral them back in
Using cattle’s real time location can help deploy resources with reduced time and energy wasted
Early outcomes point to greater control over exclusions for more precise grazing management, including better utilization of Riparian, BLM and Federal forest areas
Exploring the Intersection of Ranching and Technology: From Guard Dogs to Virtual Fencing