eShepherd Webinar OCT 2025 Episode 10

Recap

Introduction and Webinar Purpose

Jacey from the Gallagher North America team welcomed attendees and introduced the purpose of the webinar: to share real-world producer experiences with eShepherd, address customer questions, and support both new and existing users. She introduced Alberta producer Nick Kunik, who shared how he used eShepherd throughout a challenging, dry grazing season.

Producer Experience – Nick (Alberta, Canada)

Nick operates in northeastern Alberta, a region with long winters, low rainfall, and limited growing seasons. As a regenerative and certified organic producer, he uses eShepherd to increase grazing efficiency, reduce labour, and improve land resilience.

Grazing Environment and Approach

• Experiences very low rainfall (only ~7 inches this year).
• Uses regenerative, high-density, non-selective grazing.
• Moves cattle multiple times per day to improve utilisation and maximise rest periods.

Why Nick Adopted eShepherd

• Reduce the labour of shifting physical fences.
• Improve utilisation in brushy, wooded, and previously under-grazed areas.
• Enable ultra-high-density grazing for better manure distribution and pasture renewal.
• Maintain or increase stocking rates during drought.
• Support long-term regenerative and organic management goals.

Grazing Coverage and Pasture Utilisation

Using eShepherd, Nick moves cattle up to 8–9 times per day, giving roughly ½ acre per move. He observed:

• Improved utilisation of brush, woody plants, and weedy species.
• Cattle eating plants they normally avoid, including dogbane and woody regrowth.
• Increased manure concentration, enhancing soil fertility.
• Clear visual grazing lines showing strong contrast between grazed and ungrazed areas.
• Flexible ability to draw laneways, adjust paddocks, and graze difficult terrain.

Labour Savings

Nick noted significant labour reductions:

• No daily fence building or repairs.
• Can schedule multiple moves days in advance.
• Able to leave the ranch for extended periods (e.g., travel, hockey games).
• Only needs quick daily checks to confirm feed utilisation and general cattle behaviour.

Remote Management

• Nick schedules move intervals (e.g., every 2–3 hours) directly in the app.
• The system advances cattle automatically to fresh feed.
• He monitors progress remotely through his phone or computer.
• Historical fences, landmarks, and animal locations provide full visibility.

Animal Behaviour and Training

• Cattle learned the system within a day.
• Calves roam freely but do not cause cows to escape the boundary.
• Even known fence-crawling cows stayed within virtual boundaries.
• Calf performance remained strong, with healthy weights and behaviour.

Weather and Environment

• eShepherd worked reliably in brushy, uneven terrain.
• Neckbands held up well through mud, water, and physical impact.
• Virtual fencing allowed access to forested areas that were previously difficult to graze.

Winter Plans and Future Use

Nick plans to continue using eShepherd during winter to:

• Move cattle daily to fresh snow-covered forage.
• Improve bale grazing by controlling access to small bale groups.
• Extend the grazing season and reduce feed costs.
• Test solar neckband performance through low-sunlight periods.

Questions and Answers

Q: How long does it take cattle to learn the system?

A: Most cattle learn the audio cue within less than a day, including animals that previously broke physical fences.

Q: Do calves without collars cause cows to escape?

A: No. Calves naturally roam further as they grow, but cows remain calm and stay inside the virtual boundary.

Q: Can eShepherd be used in brush, timber, or wooded areas?

A: Yes. Nick used virtual fences widely in dense bush, allowing cattle to graze areas that would be difficult or impossible to fence manually.

Q: How do you manage water access using virtual fencing?

A: Nick draws virtual laneways (around 10 m wide) to direct cattle to dugouts or water points without physical fencing.

Q: Does the system require strong cell coverage?

A: If you can send/receive text messages in an area, eShepherd usually works well. Gallagher can assess whether cellular or LoRa is the best option for your property.

Q: Will the neckbands function reliably in Canadian winter?

A: Neckbands can operate for 7–8 days without sunlight and recharge with even short windows of sun. Winter performance will be monitored closely.

Q: Can the system be used on bulls?

A: Yes. Bulls may require longer chains and thread-lock on bolts due to their behaviour and physical impact.

Q: Can cattle be moved long distances with virtual fencing?

A: Yes. Feed motivation works well, and some producers use virtual laneways to move cattle to corrals or distant paddocks.

Updated on: 19/11/2025