Four parts, usually two

eShepherd is made up of four parts: the neckband, the eShepherd app, a base station and the Emergency Pause Device. Most farms need only the first two. The base station is for properties without mobile coverage, and the pause device is there for emergencies.

The neckband (on the cow)

The neckband is where the fence actually lives. Each one is solar powered, carries GPS, and holds the boundary for the animal wearing it. One neckband goes on each animal.

A few details matter to farmers weighing it up:

  • Matched to the ear tag. Each neckband is linked to the animal's ear tag in the app, so you know which cow is wearing which device. A built-in EID antenna lets a Gallagher reader make that link in the yard.
  • Weight under the chin. The neckband weighs 2.5 kg, with the weight balanced under the chin.
  • Built for the paddock. It is rated IPX7 and runs on a lithium iron phosphate battery charged by its own solar panels, so there are no plugs or chargers.
  • Backed by a warranty. Every neckband carries a 3 year warranty.
  • Fits from 200 kg. Neckbands suit cattle from 200 kg, and bulls are included. A Bull Top Strap suits bigger necks, and XL chains suit heavy cattle.

The top strap is designed to break away at 350 kg if an animal gets caught on something, so she can pull free.

The eShepherd app (on the phone)

The app is where you run the system. There is a web app and a mobile app, and both let you draw paddocks, move mobs and check cattle.

In practice that means mapping your property, drawing virtual paddocks, assigning them to mobs and scheduling moves. It is also where you see live positions, tracks and grazing heatmaps, and where alerts arrive, such as an animal that has crossed a boundary or has barely moved for hours.

The base station (only without coverage)

Neckbands normally talk to the eShepherd platform over the mobile network. Where there is no mobile signal, a base station connects them instead, using LoRa radio.

A base station is a small piece of on-farm equipment, not a tower. It is typically mounted somewhere high, such as a shed roof or windmill, where it gives the best radio coverage over the grazing area. The eShepherd team helps choose that location. Cellular and LoRa neckbands can run on the same property under one account.

If you are not sure which you need, the eShepherd team can arrange a coverage test.

The Emergency Pause Device (for emergencies)

The Emergency Pause Device pauses virtual fencing on the farm, with no internet needed. It is there for the moments when you need cattle free of their virtual paddock right now and the app is not an option: a network outage while a mob needs to move, a mustering situation, a flood or an animal welfare event.

It is either mounted in a fixed spot, such as near a water point or gateway, or carried in a farm vehicle. You switch it on with the eShepherd magnet. It speaks to nearby neckbands over Bluetooth, and those neckbands pass the pause on to their neighbours, so the signal spreads through the mob. While cattle are in range, virtual fencing stays paused in 3-hour blocks.

The small things

Neckbands are turned on and off with a magnet key, so it is worth keeping spares. Replacement top straps and magnet keys are available as accessory packs, and a neckband outside warranty usually needs little more than a strap or clip replacement.

What you do not need

You do not need towers, chargers or a new perimeter fence. You do need sound boundary fences, because eShepherd replaces internal fencing rather than the perimeter.