How to activate a VP move for a mob: Schedule or ASAP

This article explains how to activate a virtual paddock (VP) for a mob using the Next Move panel. You can either schedule one or more moves in advance so the mob transitions automatically at set times, or activate a VP straight away using ASAP.

Step 1. Select Mobs from the top navigation bar. Tick the checkbox next to the mob you want to activate a VP for, then tap the Turn On VP button in the bottom-right toolbar.

Step 2. The Next Move panel will open. Under Type, choose how you want to activate the VP: Schedule VP to plan the move in advance, Schedule Plan to use a saved rotation plan, or ASAP to activate the VP straight away. This guide covers Schedule VP and ASAP.

Scheduling a VP move in advance

Step 1. With Schedule VP selected, set the Start date and time (now in shorter increments for finer control) for when the first move should take effect.

Step 2. Tap the VP dropdown to open the Virtual Paddock list and select the first VP you want to move the mob into.

Step 3. The selected VP will be highlighted on the map. Set the Duration for how long the mob should stay in this Virtual Paddock. Tick Add another scheduled move to chain the next move.

Step 4. A Scheduled Move added confirmation will appear. The dialog resets for the next move and shows Existing Schedules so you can see what has already been added.

Step 5. Select the next VP from the VP dropdown for the following scheduled move.

Step 6. Set the duration and confirm the start time for this move. Tick Add another scheduled move again if you want to add more moves to the chain.

Step 7. Continue adding moves as needed. The mob panel on the right will update to show each scheduled move in the queue with its time and destination VP.

Step 8. When you are done adding moves, close the dialog. The Mobs panel will display the full schedule for the mob, showing each upcoming VP move in order.

Activating a VP instantly with ASAP

Step 1. Tap ASAP in the Type row. The panel switches to Turn On VP, showing just the Mob and VP fields.

Step 2. Tap the VP dropdown and select the Virtual Paddock you want the mob to move into. The Virtual Paddock is outlined on the map so you can confirm you have picked the right one.

Step 3. Tap the confirm (tick) button to send the activation request.

Step 4. A success message confirms the request has been sent. The mob's status changes to Turning On while eShepherd confirms the change with the neckbands.

Step 5. Once confirmed, the mob's status updates to On with the new VP name, showing the mob is now contained in the selected Virtual Paddock.

Best Practices for Scheduling VP Moves

Allow overlap between Virtual Paddocks when possible. When scheduling a move, try to ensure the new VP overlaps with the current one. This means animals are never outside an active virtual fence during the transition, giving the mob room to move forward naturally without confusion.

Be cautious scheduling moves with no overlap. If animals are left outside the new Virtual Paddock boundary when a move triggers, it can cause confusion. Only rely on scheduling a non-overlapping move if you're confident the majority of the mob has already moved forward into the new area.

Allow enough time between moves. If you're chaining multiple scheduled moves, give the mob enough time to settle into each Virtual Paddock before the next move triggers. For example, if you're opening a fresh grazing area, allow at least a few hours for all animals to find and move through the new boundary before scheduling the back fence to close in behind them.

Best Practices for ASAP Activation

Check animal positions before activating. ASAP takes effect straight away, so unlike a scheduled move there is no lead-in time. Check where the mob currently is relative to the new VP boundary before activating, especially if there is little or no overlap with their current Virtual Paddock.

Use ASAP for urgent or reactive moves. ASAP suits situations where you need to move a mob quickly, such as reacting to weather, feed availability, or an unplanned issue, rather than a move you could plan ahead of time.

Wait for confirmation before assuming the mob is contained. After an ASAP request, the mob's status shows Turning On until eShepherd confirms the change with the neckbands. Check back and confirm the status has changed to On before treating the mob as contained.

How ASAP interacts with existing schedules

If a mob already has a scheduled move running when you activate ASAP, it clears both the ongoing move and any pending moves still in the queue. If the schedule hasn't started yet, ASAP goes through without clearing it, but once the scheduled move's start time arrives, it overrides the ASAP activation.

You also can't activate ASAP too close to a pending scheduled move's start time. eShepherd will block the request and let you know it's too close to proceed.

Summary

This guide covers two ways to activate a virtual paddock for a mob from the Next Move panel: scheduling one or more VP moves in advance, or activating a VP straight away with ASAP. Whichever type you choose, the Mobs panel keeps you updated on the mob's current and upcoming VP status.

v1.1, 7/2026

Updated on: 02/07/2026