Does anyone here have experience or thoughts on virtual fences for a herd of cattle?

I've read about and Youtube'd Halter and am intrigued, especially with their Starlink connection now. I think it's about $6-7 a cow/month. I'm not sure it would be a great economic move, but i think if you could add one or two cows to the carrying capacity it would pay for it. And then you'd get the other benefits for "free".

I see there are some other products/systems out there but I haven't researched those much.

What can yall tell me?

There is no need to give lesser animals access to AI.

NRCS EQIP cost sharing includes them now, FWIW

A local ranch that I do business with here on the coast has been doing a trial with Halter and they are adding to that trial because they've been very happy with the results. The ranch GM told me there is a bit of a learning curve (cattle and operators) but they are certainly impressed. I don't know about pricing or the particulars of the deal - only that these cattle live in some pretty rough conditions going all the way down the Arroyo Colorado on the coast so maintainig fences is an exercise in futility - technology like this will be a tremendous management tool.

I have another Ag friend who has cattle in south Texas and New Mexico and he asked me to put him in touch with theses guys for a recommendation. Seems to be a buzz about it.

One still has to have a solid perimeter fence but virtual fencing seems to save you quite a bit on internal fence

Thought one could turn your property into a golf course, have virtual fencing to keep cattle off the greens and still get an Ag exemption

You might check out Gallagher eShepherd as well. Seems like the best bang for buck, easiest to get into and longest life battery as well. Only thing is they are kinda clunky looking.

I like the look and fit of the Halter but their system was pretty expensive when I checked into it.

We are a small operation (only 333 acres and 270 of that is high fenced) and the only reason I would venture into virtual fencing is if I want to keep growing our little herd and try and use the high fence area for grazing.

i saw this posted from UofA


remember calves won't have collars so this isn't a option instead of boundary fences

That's a great chart and illustrates what I was saying about the Gallagher system being the most practical even if it ain't the prettiest

Do you need multiple base stations on the Gallagher system in the western hill country with zero cell coverage ?

What does the herd size mean on that table? Is that the minimum required, or the average?

I'm not a salesman for them so I'd ask them but I believe you will need a tower for certain amount of acreage when there isn't cell coverage. Depends on topography like most I imagine but I'd call and ask them

I am pretty sure that's the minimum units you can buy.
The max is a much much larger number.