# eShepherd > eShepherd is a Gallagher virtual fencing system for cattle: a solar-powered GPS neckband, a base station, and a web + mobile app that let producers draw paddocks on a map and move stock without physical fences. This site is the marketing surface at landing.eshepherd.io. A companion full-text corpus lives at https://landing.eshepherd.io/llms-full.txt — every article, story and use-case body inlined for deep retrieval. ## At a glance - **Built by:** [Gallagher Animal Management](https://am.gallagher.com/en-NZ) — 88+ years of farm fencing engineering. eShepherd is part of the Gallagher Next family. - **Animal scope:** Cattle only. There is no sheep, goat or other-species offering. - **Sold in:** Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland. Operating on farms in 14+ countries today, with the platform supporting 70+ countries and 150+ carrier networks. - **Hardware:** ES1 neckband — solar-charged, multi-year battery life, GPS-enabled. Two connectivity configurations: - **Direct-to-cellular** (LTE-M / Cat-M1) — no base station required where carrier coverage exists. - **LoRa via base station** — eShepherd-supplied base station serves up to ~100 head; choose this where cellular coverage is patchy. - **GPS update cadence:** Live animal positions refreshed every 15 minutes. - **Apps:** Web app (desktop browser) for planning; iOS + Android mobile apps for in-paddock control. Both render the same animals and the same boundaries — change a fence on one, the other updates. - **Welfare protocol:** Audio-first training. The animal hears a sequence of escalating audio cues as it approaches the virtual fence; only if it pushes through every cue does it receive a brief low-energy electrical pulse. Cattle typically learn the system in under a week, after which audio cues do almost all of the work and the pulse is rarely triggered. Training methodology and welfare outcomes are the subject of long-running CSIRO research; the system is certified for use in every market it ships in. - **Pricing model:** Buy the hardware + pay a small monthly subscription per neckband for the data plan. There is no recurring software fee on top of the subscription. Indicative volume-tiered neckband pricing (per head, in regional currency, hardware-only): - US: $350 (4–19) · $300 (20–59) · $250 (60+) - AU: A$480 · A$415 · A$350 - NZ: NZ$480 · NZ$415 · NZ$350 - UK: £300 (20–59) · £250 (60+) - EU: €348 (20–59) · €290 (60+) - Base station (LoRa configurations): ~A$/NZ$6,000 international, ~US$5,000 North America. - Monthly subscription per neckband: LoRa US$1.50–2.00 · Cellular US$2.00–2.50 (regional currency, indicative). - Live, region-aware quote: . Payback model: . - **Subscription not included:** Hardware ownership stays with the buyer. The monthly fee covers connectivity + platform access, not device rental. - **Localisation:** Pages render in English at the root; nine UI locales (`en`, `es`, `fr`, `pt`, `de`, `it`, `el`, `sv`, `da`) live under `//`. Long-form bodies (articles, stories, FAQ) stay English regardless of locale; UI chrome is translated. - **Recognition:** Good Design Award 2023 (Australia). ## Product - [Neckband](https://landing.eshepherd.io/neckband): The solar-powered GPS collar — hardware, configurations, comparison to other systems, how it works on the animal. - [Virtual fencing — how it works](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing): The audio-first training loop, the four welfare pillars, CSIRO research, certifications. - [Web app](https://landing.eshepherd.io/platform/web): Draw paddocks on a map, move stock, monitor pasture and animal location from a desktop browser. - [Mobile app](https://landing.eshepherd.io/platform/mobile): iOS and Android app for in-paddock control — drawing, lasso-selecting animals, scheduling moves, tracking, finding individuals. - [Pasture (early access)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/pasture): Satellite + ground pasture monitoring add-on. Currently a teaser with early-tester signup; pricing tiers shown for reference. - [Vision Weigh (early access)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/vision-weigh): Camera-based liveweight tracking add-on (touchless weighing at the water point, ±2% accuracy target). Teaser with early-tester signup. - [Water (early access)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/water): Trough and tank monitoring add-on. Teaser with early-tester signup. - [Gallagher Next](https://landing.eshepherd.io/gallagher-next): Context on Gallagher's connected-farm platform and where eShepherd fits inside it. ## Pricing & buying - [Get a quote](https://landing.eshepherd.io/quote): Five-step builder that prices neckbands, base stations and subscription by region and head count, then emails a PDF. - [ROI calculator](https://landing.eshepherd.io/roi): Estimates payback from extra stocking capacity or daily liveweight gain, using the same per-region pricing as the quote builder. Includes US NRCS cost-share modelling (50% / 75%). - [Compare to other systems](https://landing.eshepherd.io/compare): Switching-intent landing for producers reviewing a competing virtual-fencing collar; routes to a "let's chat" lead form. - [Reorder](https://landing.eshepherd.io/reorder): Existing-customer reorder flow. - [Replacements](https://landing.eshepherd.io/replacements): Existing-customer replacement-parts flow. - [Contact](https://landing.eshepherd.io/contact): Regional sales and support teams in NZ, AU, North America, UK & Ireland. ## Compared with other virtual fencing systems eShepherd is one of four serious virtual fencing collars working on commercial cattle operations today. Honest, head-to-head positioning: - **Halter** — NZ-built like eShepherd, but vertically integrated into a single ecosystem with rechargeable batteries; eShepherd's solar-charged neckbands trade install simplicity for years of unattended battery life. Full breakdown: [eShepherd vs Halter](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/eshepherd-vs-halter). - **Vence** (Merck Animal Health) — North America's other LoRa-based system. Vence rents the hardware on a monthly per-head fee; eShepherd sells the hardware outright with a small data subscription on top, which over a 5–10 year horizon usually wins on total cost of ownership. Full breakdown: [eShepherd vs Vence](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/eshepherd-vs-vence). - **Nofence** — Norway-built, originally for sheep and goats. Nofence is the closest match to eShepherd on pricing model (own-the-hardware + monthly fee) and cellular-first connectivity, but its cattle product is younger and the small-ruminant focus shapes the hardware. Nofence is not currently sold in AU or NZ. Full breakdown: [eShepherd vs Nofence (cattle)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/eshepherd-vs-nofence-cattle). - Cross-system overview: [How eShepherd compares to other virtual fencing solutions](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/how-eshepherd-compares-to-other-virtual-fencing). - Long-run economics across all four: [Virtual fencing total cost of ownership](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/virtual-fencing-total-cost-of-ownership). ## Use cases (long-form articles) - [After the disaster](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/after-the-disaster): Bushfire, flood, cyclone, drought. When the fencing's gone or the country's changed, eShepherd holds the boundaries while the rebuild happens. - [Rotational grazing](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/rotational-grazing): How rotational graziers use eShepherd to double their paddock count without doubling their fencing cost. Recovery clocks against cover, not against the calendar. - [Rough country](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/rough-country): How operations on steep, broken, and remote country use eShepherd to manage cattle where physical fencing is impractical to build, maintain, or reach. - [Conservation grazing](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/conservation-grazing): How land managers, agencies, and operators are using eShepherd to deploy cattle as a targeted ecological tool — fire-fuel reduction, weed control, corridor management, biodiversity restoration. - [Crop grazing](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/crop-grazing): How cropping operations use eShepherd to graze stubbles, cover crops, and dual-purpose crops without rolling out temporary fencing across fields the size of small towns. - [More acres, less infrastructure](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/extensive-operations): How extensive beef operations use eShepherd to subdivide country without barbed wire. Labour saved, infrastructure capex avoided, stocking-rate flex without booking a contractor. - [Winter grazing](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/winter-grazing): How cold-climate graziers and winter-crop operators use eShepherd to extend the grazing season, manage break-feeding without temporary fencing, and bring the spring muster home in a single ride. - [Fence the lease, not the land](https://landing.eshepherd.io/use-it-for/leased-and-public-land): How operations on agistment, short-term leases, and pastoral leases use eShepherd to graze country they don't own, without infrastructure they can't recover at lease-end. ## Editorial articles - [eShepherd vs Vence: virtual fencing compared for cattle operations](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/eshepherd-vs-vence): A direct comparison of eShepherd and Vence on cost, battery, containment, connectivity and apps. Honest analysis with the long-run numbers that matter. - [eShepherd vs Nofence for cattle: a head-to-head virtual fencing comparison](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/eshepherd-vs-nofence-cattle): How eShepherd and Nofence stack up on cattle operations. Cost, battery, connectivity, apps, pasture monitoring, weighing. - [How does eShepherd compare to other virtual fencing solutions?](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/how-eshepherd-compares-to-other-virtual-fencing): An honest, up-to-date comparison of eShepherd against Halter, Vence and Nofence on pricing, battery life, connectivity and pasture monitoring. - [eShepherd vs Halter: which virtual fencing system fits your operation?](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/eshepherd-vs-halter): A direct comparison of eShepherd and Halter on cost, battery life, connectivity, pasture monitoring, weighing and animal welfare. - [Virtual fencing total cost of ownership: what it actually costs over 10 years](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/virtual-fencing-total-cost-of-ownership): Independent University of Arizona and Rangelands journal research on the 5 and 10-year cost of eShepherd, Halter, Vence and Nofence per cow. - [Virtual fencing for cattle: A complete guide for producers](https://landing.eshepherd.io/articles/virtual-fencing-cattle-guide): How eShepherd virtual fencing works, what it costs, and why producers are using it to manage cattle and pasture. ## Customer stories - [Stories index](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories): Bento grid of farmer / rancher case studies with country, operation type and scale filters. - [Dion Kilmister (Wairarapa, NZ)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/kilmister-wairarapa): eShepherd controls where cattle graze. The Auto Weigher measures how they respond. Together — a real-time feedback loop on every grazing decision. - [Nettleton Limousin Stud (South West, WA, Australia)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/kevin-nettleton-wa): Limousin breeding stud running cattle, chickens and regenerative pastures in WA's south west. - [Nick Kunec (Bonnyville, Alberta, Canada)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/nick-kunec-alberta): Ultra-high-density rotational grazing on dry Alberta country — 300 animal units, four moves a day, half-acre paddocks. - [George Hardwick-Smith (Taranaki, NZ)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/hardwick-smith-taranaki): Turning a hard-to-manage 30 ha river flat into a streamlined, high-performing bull beef block. - [Chilwell Farms (Condingup, Esperance, WA, Australia)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/chilwell-farms-esperance): 50,000 hectares of cropping integrated with cattle and sheep — virtual fencing brought the rotation cattle never had. - [Nigel & Gina Gardner (South Canterbury, NZ)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/gardner-south-canterbury): Intensive heifer grazing across 350 ha — Nigel used to move twenty break fences a day. Now he moves zero. - [Strathalbyn Station (Burdekin River catchment, QLD, Australia)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/strathalbyn-station): Eliminating fencing infrastructure to protect waterways flowing to the Great Barrier Reef. - [Mangatarata Station (Hawkes Bay, NZ)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/mangatarata-station): Precision bull grazing at scale on Hawkes Bay hill country. - [Las Islas Ranch (Texas, USA)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/las-islas-ranch): Freeing up labour to graze more intensively across Texas country. - [Jorgensen Land & Cattle (South Dakota, USA)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/stories/jorgensen-land-cattle): Rotational grazing at scale across 15,000 acres of native prairie. - [Barrington Ranch Ltd · Crater Mountain (Keremeos, BC, Canada) (external)](https://www.castanetkamloops.net/news/Penticton/517453/A-win-for-the-industry-Keremeos-ranch-pairs-up-with-TRU-student-to-be-among-first-in-Canada-to-utilize-digital-fencing): Castanet Kamloops covers Barrington Ranch's partnership with a TRU student to be among the first in Canada to roll out eShepherd virtual fencing. ## Regional landing pages - [Virtual fencing for cattle in Australia](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing-for/australia): Regional positioning, Australia-specific pricing, carrier coverage and on-the-ground operations running eShepherd today. - [Virtual fencing for cattle in New Zealand](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing-for/new-zealand): Regional positioning, New Zealand-specific pricing, carrier coverage and on-the-ground operations running eShepherd today. - [Virtual fencing for cattle in United States](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing-for/united-states): Regional positioning, United States-specific pricing, carrier coverage and on-the-ground operations running eShepherd today. - [Virtual fencing for cattle in Canada](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing-for/canada): Regional positioning, Canada-specific pricing, carrier coverage and on-the-ground operations running eShepherd today. - [Virtual fencing for cattle in United Kingdom](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing-for/united-kingdom): Regional positioning, United Kingdom-specific pricing, carrier coverage and on-the-ground operations running eShepherd today. - [Virtual fencing for cattle in Ireland](https://landing.eshepherd.io/virtual-fencing-for/ireland): Regional positioning, Ireland-specific pricing, carrier coverage and on-the-ground operations running eShepherd today. ## Events, webinars and vision - [Events](https://landing.eshepherd.io/events): Field days, ag shows, seminars, expos, conferences and on-farm demo days where eShepherd is in person — month grid plus agenda list. - [Webinars](https://landing.eshepherd.io/webinars): Bento grid of past episodes plus the next monthly live session on Microsoft Teams. - [Our vision (Sarah Adams essay)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/vision): Long-form essay from Sarah Adams (Gallagher GM, Global Strategy & New Ventures) on where eShepherd is going. ## Company - [About](https://landing.eshepherd.io/about): Company narrative. - [Values](https://landing.eshepherd.io/values): What we stand for. - [Careers](https://landing.eshepherd.io/careers): Open roles. - [Partners](https://landing.eshepherd.io/partners): Reseller and distribution partners. - [FAQ](https://landing.eshepherd.io/faq): Frequently asked questions across getting started, hardware, welfare, grazing and support. ## Optional - [Full text corpus](https://landing.eshepherd.io/llms-full.txt): Every article, story and use-case body inlined as plain text — for deep retrieval and citation. - [Sitemap](https://landing.eshepherd.io/sitemap.xml): Full XML sitemap. - [Search index (JSON)](https://landing.eshepherd.io/search-index.json): The flat record list backing the site's ⌘K search modal — pages, FAQ items, articles, stories, use-cases, webinars and events. - [Help Centre](https://help.eshepherd.com): Customer-facing how-to articles and release notes (separate domain, written by Gallagher Animal Management support).