Virtual Paddock rules for scheduling and Move Plans

Scheduling a VP and building a Move Plan are two different things. Scheduling sets up one move, or a few moves in a row, for a mob. A Move Plan is a rotation you build once and use again and again, made up of several VP steps. They're set up on different screens, but they both follow the same rules below for picking a VP.

Rules for scheduling a VP

• The first move you schedule can go anywhere. There's no previous VP to compare it to, so no rule applies yet.
• Every move after that needs to fully cover the paddock before it. The new VP has to completely overlap the old one. This keeps the mob's paddock growing forward into fresh ground, instead of jumping to a separate spot where animals could end up outside the fence.
• Later moves should stay in the same physical paddock as the one before.
• The scheduled VP should have at least one watering point.
• If Return to Paddock (Returning) is turned on, this rule doesn't apply. Return to Paddock isn't set up the same way for every farm, it depends on your setup. See Standard Containment and Return-to-Paddock, or get in touch with your eShepherd rep or customer support to find out more.

If a VP isn't showing up as an option for a scheduled move, the rules above are the most common reasons. It's also worth checking if Returning is turned on, since that changes things. Still not sure? Reach out to customer support and we'll take a look.

Rules for building a Move Plan

A Move Plan follows the same rules as scheduling. The difference is timing: eShepherd checks these rules while you're building the Move Plan, before it ever runs. So if a move in your Plan doesn't fully overlap the move before it, you won't be able to add it in the first place, same as you couldn't schedule a non-overlapping move on its own. Every move in the Plan follows the same rules: overlap, same paddock, a watering point, and the Return to Paddock (Returning) exception.

Can't add a VP as the next move in your Move Plan? It's almost always one of the rules above, not a problem with the VP. Get in touch with customer support if you're still not sure.

Allow enough time between chained moves

If you're scheduling several VPs in a row, or building a Move Plan with several moves in a row, give the mob time to settle into each VP before the next one starts. If you're opening up fresh grazing, let the whole mob find their way through the new boundary before you schedule the back fence to close in behind them. How long that takes depends on your paddock size and mob, so go with your own judgement rather than a set number.

Summary

Scheduling a VP and building a Move Plan are two different features, but they follow the same rules for picking a VP. Scheduling checks these rules when you set up a move. A Move Plan checks them while you're building the Plan.

v1.1, 8/2026

Updated on: 10/08/2026