Keeping out is the same skill as keeping in

Most people think of a virtual fence as something that holds cattle in. With eShepherd, the same boundary can keep cattle out. You draw the grazing area, then draw an area inside it that cattle should not enter. That area is called an exclusion zone.

To the cow, there is no difference. She hears the same tone at the edge of an exclusion zone as she does at the edge of her paddock, and a trained animal turns back the same way.

What farmers keep cattle out of

The common uses fall into three groups.

  • Waterways. Creeks, rivers, springs and wetlands. Keeping cattle off waterways without building temporary fence is one of the strongest reasons farmers choose virtual fencing, and it can help with land care requirements.
  • Crops and regrowth. A crop that is not ready, a paddock that needs to rest, or newly sown ground.
  • Sensitive and hazardous ground. Native bush, erosion-prone gullies, boggy ground or a spot where cattle could get into trouble.

Because the exclusion zone is a line on a map, it can change with the season. Open a creek crossing when the water is low, close it again after rain, or release a crop once it is ready. No posts, no wire and no time spent putting it up and pulling it down.

How it holds

The neckband's GPS is most accurate near a virtual fence, about ±1 metre within 20 metres of the line, so the edge of an exclusion zone is held with the same precision as the edge of a paddock.

A few welfare rules carry over too. An animal that happens to be inside the exclusion zone when you turn it on is not cued there. She can walk back into the grazing area freely, and the boundary applies from then on. Walking back into the grazing area never triggers a cue.

Designing a good exclusion zone

Cattle cope best with boundaries that are easy to read. The same principles that make a good paddock make a good exclusion zone:

  • Keep shapes simple. Straight lines and wide angles are easier for cattle to navigate than tight corners.
  • Leave room to turn. Cattle need space to hear the tone and turn away.
  • Keep water and feed reachable. An exclusion zone must never cut the mob off from water. If you are fencing off a waterway, make sure there is another water point inside the grazing area.
  • Avoid traps. Do not leave narrow pockets or dead ends between the exclusion zone and a physical fence.

The app currently supports one exclusion zone inside a virtual paddock. For layouts that need more, the eShepherd team can help you work out the best setup.

A learned boundary, not a wall

A virtual fence is a boundary cattle have learned, not a physical barrier. Trained cattle respect it reliably, and if one does push through, the neckband leaves her alone until she walks back and alerts you that she is out.

That is the right trade for most exclusion jobs. Where a single breach would put an animal in real danger, such as a cliff edge or deep water, talk to the eShepherd team about whether a physical barrier should stay and how the virtual fence can manage the ground around it.

Checking it works

Grazing heatmaps show where cattle have actually spent their time. After a few days with a new exclusion zone, a heatmap shows whether the protected area is staying clear and whether the mob is using the water and feed you left them.