A clear path, with help at each step

Getting eShepherd running on a farm follows a well-worn path. Most of it is preparation, and the eShepherd team is involved from the first quote to the day the mob graduates.

1. Build a quote

It starts with the quote form at eshepherd.com/quote. It builds indicative pricing step by step, based on your herd and how you want to use the system, and an eShepherd specialist follows up to talk it through.

Pricing is straightforward: you buy the neckbands outright, with no per-head lease, and pay a small monthly connectivity charge per active neckband. Funding is available in many regions, and the funding page lists what applies where you farm.

2. Confirm coverage

Before you commit, it is worth knowing how the neckbands will connect. Where there is mobile coverage, you need no extra gear. Where there isn't, a base station does the job. If you are not sure, the eShepherd team can arrange a coverage test using a neckband carried around the property.

3. While your gear ships

There is plenty you can do before the neckbands arrive:

  • Set up your logins and install the apps.
  • Map your property in the app: physical paddocks, water points and landmarks.
  • Learn how to draw virtual paddocks.
  • Book an onboarding video call with your Customer Success Representative.

The onboarding call is where you plan the details, including the training paddock. The eShepherd team helps each farmer plan it.

4. Charge, switch on and fit

New neckbands arrive almost flat for freight reasons, so the first job is to put them in the sun for several days. If you are using a base station, it is installed in this window too.

Once charged, the neckbands are switched on with a magnet key and checked to confirm they are connected. Then comes fitting day: each neckband goes on an animal and is matched to that animal's ear tag in the app. Animals are grouped into a mob, ready for training.

5. Train the mob

Training is built in. Most mobs learn the system in 7 to 10 days in a simple training paddock. It is mostly a watching game: the app shows a yellow L plate while each animal is learning and a graduation hat once it turns on the tone alone. A check-in with the eShepherd team follows to see how it is going.

From there, you can start moving the mob between virtual paddocks, scheduling rotations and, for well-trained herds, using Moving Fence™.

Support once you are running

Gallagher backs eShepherd with real people. The fastest route is chat inside the eShepherd app. There are also phone and email support teams in New Zealand, Australia, North America and Europe:

  • New Zealand: +64 7 788 0697
  • Australia: +61 3 7056 7032
  • United States: +1 816 760 2167
  • Canada: +1 431 812 5905
  • Email: eshepherd.support@gallagher.com

For setup questions, how-to help and troubleshooting, start with chat inside the eShepherd app, or call or email the support team on the details above.

Where retailers and partners fit

Many farmers first hear about eShepherd from someone they already deal with: a retailer, a dealer or another partner. That conversation is a good place to start.

If you are one of those people, your role is to help a farmer work out whether eShepherd fits and then pass them on. The quote form is the right next step. It builds indicative pricing step by step, and an eShepherd specialist follows up to scope the herd, the coverage and the rollout. After purchase, the eShepherd team supports the farmer directly, from onboarding through training and beyond.

The entries in eShepherd Explained are written to be shared. Sending a farmer a link to the right one is often the quickest way to answer the first question they ask.