The unseen wall

LA CROSSE, Wis. — A technology that has helped train the family dog is making its way to the pasture. Virtual fencing is an emerging technology that is gaining traction with ruminants across the nation.

With several virtual fencing companies finding clients in the U.S., GrassWorks Grazing Conference in La Crosse held a seminar to help producers learn more. The seminar was presented by Stephanie Bowers, regional dairy educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, and Derek Orth, a dairy farmer from the Fennimore area. Orth uses virtual fencing to manage herds of 250 Jerseys and crossbreds, and Bowers uses the equipment to manage 300 sheep and goats.

“Virtual fencing is relatively new to the United States,” Bowers said. “The biggest question mark it faces is, does the technology actually work, and the answer is yes. It’s an emerging technology that can contain ruminant livestock with boundaries created on a farmer or rancher’s phone or computer.”

Bowers said there are two types of virtual fencing available through a variety of companies. The first uses cellular technology, allowing the farmer to place their virtual fences where they want. This requires cellular reception throughout the farm. The second is for locations that are outside quality cellular service. They require base stations be constructed to ensure connectivity.

Having proper connectivity allows for easy movement of paddocks through a digital interface, whether through a computer or via a phone application.

One stipulation is that there needs to be water access in each zone created.

“I heard of people moving their pastures eight times a day,” Orth said. “This summer, I was either doing it twice a day or every day. It depends on whether you’re talking about pre-scheduled moves. There’s one company where you can pre-schedule moves and you can sit down one day and schedule your moves for the entire week.”

When moving paddocks, the technology allows for a gradual move of the animals using a series of tones and pulses to a collar on the neck of the animal.

“When I trained them, I gave them four acres the first day,” Orth said. “The second day, I wouldn’t let them go on the west half of the pasture. On the third day, I wouldn’t let them go to the northern half. Within a week, they were trained.”

Orth said the technology allowed him to increase his forage availability and utilization, bringing a return on his investment.

“People have come to our pasture and said, ‘Wow that’s a lot more grass than the last time I was here,’” Orth said. “That’s because we were using continuous grazing before in the pasture. Now we’re rotationally grazing with no fence and the grass amount alone is paying for itself.”

Bowers estimated that, depending on each farm’s variables, over five years, the rough estimate across brands was $75-95 per cow per year, taking into account the cost of the collar and the annual subscription, depending on companies. Base stations alter that estimate, averaging between $4,500 and $5,000 per base station.

Companies maintain warranties ranging from five to seven years on collars, but Bowers has seen collars lasting up to nine years.

Orth said the cost of virtual fencing is offset by cutting down on physical fencing. State laws may dictate an exterior fence, but digitally moving paddocks as often as deemed necessary, came at no cost and allowed for different grazing patterns and less physical labor.

“We’re renting a farm near our family farm and there’s a creek that separates it,” Orth said. “As part of the grassroots mentorship program, my mentor came in and said I’d need to walk through the creek twice a day every time I wanted to rotationally graze and suggested I look into virtual fencing.”

Using the app on his phone, Orth can determine where the collars are in real time. This allows him to observe the cattle at any point in the day, from wherever. This feature has proved vital for other farmers Bowers has spoken to about their experiences.

“There’s a farm in Texas that leases land two hours away from the original farm,” Bowers said. “The collars allowed (the farmer) to monitor the cows from either site.”

Bowers also detailed a farm that neighbored a creek. After a rainfall, five collars were in the creek and the farmer called his farmhands to assess the situation. The farmhands found four cows stuck in the river, unable to summit the river bank, with one having already passed.

“With the average cost of a heifer or a cow right now, having this technology on his phone saved him $20,000,” Bowers said.

Bowers and Orth said that while virtual fencing cuts down on physical labor, a dedicated person to oversee paddock movement is still necessary and vital to the success of the product.

“It’s not something that’s set it and forget it,” Bowers said. “This is a tool to improve your operation. You’re also putting a wearable device on an animal, so you have to think about the temperament of your animals, as well as your herdsmanship skills.”

Orth also mentioned the process he went through before selecting his virtual fencing company.

“You should do a lot of research before you actually buy a system,” Orth said. “Each brand varies with their technology and connections and what they use. Some have varying minimum herd sizes. We found what works for us and we’ve been very happy with how it’s performed.”