Despite poor winter weather — and even an unexpected early start to calving season for one rancher — more than 50 hardy individuals gathered at the Kelliher Rec Centre on Thursday, January 15, for a Virtual Fence Field Day. Roughly half of attendees travelled an hour or more to attend, highlighting the strong interest in the emerging technology across east-central Saskatchewan.
Following the provided lunch, Jodie Horvath, PAg, Forage and Extension Specialist with Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), kicked off the indoor portion of the event.
Horvath presented results from the Virtual Fence Technology Trial, now six months in.
“DUC and CFGA both wanted to demonstrate this new technology and knew it was important to show it working in a real-world scenario,” said Horvath.
The project set out to answer key questions: Is virtual fencing a viable option for Saskatchewan livestock producers? Do collars affect cattle behaviour? And, is virtual fencing effective throughout the entire ranching year?
Horvath gave a brief overview of how the technology works. Cattle wear GPS-enabled neckbands that track their location in real time, while producers create digital fence boundaries using a simple map interface on a phone or computer. These virtual fences can be adjusted at any time and layered with existing infrastructure such as physical fences, water sources, landmarks, and hazards.
When cattle approach a virtual boundary, the collar emits a series of high-pitched audio cues as a warning. If the animal continues forward and crosses the boundary, it receives a pulse similar to electric fence. Horvath noted that cattle quickly learn to respond to the audio cue alone and stay within the designated area, avoiding the pulse altogether.
Click here to see more...