eShepherd Webinar JUL 2025 Episode 7

Recap

Introduction and Webinar Purpose

Jamie from the New Zealand team opened the webinar and welcomed attendees to the seventh session in the series. He introduced guest speakers:

• George – a bull-beef producer from Taranaki, New Zealand
• Daniel & Kimmy – ranchers from Oregon, USA

He also noted that users could ask questions in the chat and that Zippo would cover practical platform tips at the end of the session.

Customer Experience – George (Taranaki, New Zealand)

Operation Background

George runs a bull technical grazing (“techno”) system on two large river-flat blocks (approx. 30 ha each). Before eShepherd:

• Fences on the river flats were old and failing
• Grazing required long travel times and dangerous access tracks
• Manual shifts every 1–2 days were labour-intensive

eShepherd was adopted as a labour-saving alternative to replace cross-fencing and enable precise, daily shifts without physically travelling to the block.

Grazing System & Setup

• Each block is divided into eight long lanes, managed as a race-track system.
• Bulls enter the system at ~220 kg and stay for 12 months, aiming to finish at 600 kg.
• Each mob runs in a rotation of ~120 cells, with daily shifts at 10am.
• George schedules a week’s worth of moves in 30–40 minutes from his laptop—even while away on holiday.

Pasture & Performance Benefits

• Daily, consistent shifts provide far more control than 2-day manual shifts.
• Strong, visible grazing lines appear within 10 days.
• Maintaining tight winter covers allows faster compensatory growth in spring.
• Bulls remain calm and well-behaved despite less human interaction—helped by small mob sizes and consistent routines.
• The system has lifted profitability to around $4,000 per hectare on blocks that previously performed poorly.

Daily Operation & Stockmanship

• George visits the block every 1–2 weeks to check animals and pasture.
• Uses the web app to map and schedule moves, the app for day-to-day visibility.
• Weather-driven decisions (e.g., upcoming cold/wet snaps) can be made instantly by adjusting schedules or giving larger breaks.
• Multiple mobs of different weights can be managed simultaneously—each following their dedicated lanes.

Infrastructure Considerations

• Water access remains critical—virtual fencing does not replace water infrastructure.
• Where needed, George uses a single wire down the centre lane to ensure bulls can drink without interacting with the virtual boundary.
• On the northern block, high-quality physical fences allowed the system to be adapted using a “racetrack inside each paddock” design.

Key Advice to New Users

George recommends:

• Start small to learn the system before scaling up.
• Remember that eShepherd replaces labour, not water infrastructure.
• Expect a learning period as you discover the best setup for your property.
• Build confidence, then expand steadily across more mobs or paddocks.

Customer Experience – Daniel & Kimmy (Oregon, USA)

Operation Background

Daniel and Kimmy run cattle across ~8,000 acres of mountainous country. Physical cross-fencing is difficult due to:

• Timber blocks
• Heavy elk pressure
• Frequent storm damage and fallen trees
• Large landscapes with challenging access

eShepherd replaced the constant labour and stress involved with repairing and maintaining physical fences.

How eShepherd Is Used on Their Ranch

• Large virtual paddocks (300–500 acres) managed for 30-day grazing windows.
• Bulls and cows remain in tight, controlled groups.
• Registered Angus bulls stay in their intended mobs—even when separated by just meters.
• Computer and phone apps make it simple to check locations, behaviour, and graze pressure.

Key Benefits Experienced

1. Containment & Peace of Mind

• Daniel always knows exactly where his cows are.
• No more calls from neighbours reporting escaped cattle.
• He confidently monitors animals 20+ times a day on his phone.

2. Calving Management

• The app shows when a cow leaves the mob—almost always indicating calving.
• They saved multiple calves and cows by intervening early thanks to real-time location visibility.
• Cows calving in open country are now easy to find, even in timber.

3. Bull Management

• Bulls stay fully contained—even face-to-face across virtual lines.
• No breeding mix-ups.
• Helps tighten breeding windows by keeping bulls close to open cows.

4. Wildfire Response

When a wildfire approached while they were away, Daniel used eShepherd to:

• Stop cattle from returning up the mountain
• Gradually move them downhill over two days
• Stage them at the gate ready for evacuation on arrival

This avoided major loss of stock seen in neighbouring operations.

5. Winter Feeding Strategy

• Plans to adopt multi-day feed breaks (every 4–5 days) instead of daily feeding.
• Expects significant labour savings.

General Observations

• Bulls are the most compliant group.
• Calves roam through boundaries but always return to their mothers.
• Yearling heifers took longer to learn but adapted well.
• Cross-fences will eventually be removed entirely on parts of the ranch.

Questions and Answers

Q: Do animals escape?

A: Rarely.

• In tight systems, a few may drift 20m out then return.
• In extensive systems, wildlife or predators may push an animal out, but they almost always walk back voluntarily.
• Virtual fencing avoids whole-mob escapes caused by polywire breaks.

Q: What happens when cows are calving?

A:

• Both users safely moved cattle with newborn calves.
• Calves often roam far (50 yards to 700+ metres depending on terrain).
• Cows wait calmly at the virtual boundary for calves to return.

Q: How do multiple mobs work in one paddock?

A:

• Very possible.
• Bulls can meet across virtual lines without crossing.
• Single-wire dividers or careful paddock shaping help when mobs are close.

Q: Can the system fail?

A:

• Occasional outages (e.g., cell towers, lightning strikes) occur but resolve quickly.
• Neckbands hold a virtual fence for 24 hours without connection.
• Overall reliability reported as “excellent.”

Q: Is virtual fencing a replacement for water infrastructure?

A:

No.

You still need reliable, well-placed water.

Virtual fencing replaces labour, not water.

Q: How long does it take to set up paddocks?

A:

• George: ~30–40 minutes per week for 10 mobs.
• Daniel: Moves paddocks every few days or weeks depending on graze pressure.

Updated on: 19/11/2025