Virtual fences

November 4, 2024 7:58 PM

These GPS cow collars are allowing producers to farm without physical fences. Farmers can create virtual fences using a solar-powered, GPS-enabled collar to track and move their livestock around the farm from a remote device.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (7 comments total)

I wonder how Halter and eShepherd’s products compare to the Lely Astronaut collar and robotic milking system that was featured on ballerinafarm today.
posted by puffinaria at 10:43 PM on November 4

I built a software prototype of a service and UI app for something like this maybe 6-7 years ago. my sister is a cattle rancher. After talking with her and her neighbors, families who are generations deep in ranching - the collar units plus sat subscription are cost prohibitive for almost everyone. Hopefully, costs come down, and similar hardware becomes more open so we can mix and match collars, sat subscriptions, backend services, and clients.

I didn't see the shock collar/virt fence aspect, just the tracking element. that's a useful bit, esp steering the herd.
posted by j_curiouser at 6:26 AM on November 5 [1 favorite]

Didn't read TFA but...

Are these encrypted? I hear stories all the time about modern day rustling of cattle.

Now they're in remote areas with a RF beacon on their neck. If they/thief can't read the GPS coordinates the RF (as a beacon) is enough to find the cattle.
posted by aleph at 6:38 AM on November 5 [1 favorite]

Solar powered shock collars...

Are the carnists okay?
posted by neonamber at 6:53 AM on November 5

Remote controlled cattle? What an amazing time we live in!
posted by TedW at 9:27 AM on November 5

(previously)

Interesting to see how many similar issues are brought up 11 years apart.
posted by cardboard at 11:24 AM on November 5

Well... I don't wanna be that cow.
posted by ovvl at 7:58 PM on November 5