Cattle ranches go virtual in Eagle County
Managing rangelands with virtual fencing
The Eagle County Conservation District will introduce virtual fencing to local cattle ranches through a Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Founded to improve the availability of sustainable animal protein, the Eagle County Conservation District has teamed up with Vence Corp to implement a relatively new and innovative technology in the ranching world.
Using a wireless network of GPS communication data, ranchers can place an invisible fence around livestock with infinite boundaries from a computer or smartphone with ability to monitor their cattle 24 hours a day. It gives livestock producers tremendous flexibility in how they manage and control the movement of their herds across rangelands to help promote rotational grazing. The cattle are trained to wear GPS-equipped collars that emit sensory sounds alerting the cattle when approaching boundary lines to avoid an electric stimulus.
Originating in Australian and New Zealand livestock operations, VF technology has demonstrated to be quite successful, raising the question for feasibility in wide scale rangelands and mountainous regions across the US. Future research will help Vence identify the benefits of virtual fencing and further introduce new ways of ranching, saving time and money for fencing.
The Eagle County Conservation District is also excited for the many ecological benefits behind the technology. Rotational grazing, where livestock are moved to different portions of the pasture, provides various natural resource benefits that include the improvement of soil health, reduced soil erosion, protection of sensitive wildlife habitat areas, healthier forage productivity, minimal fencing and the freedom of wildlife movement.
The Conservation District will begin working with Vence to install 12 towers within the county starting spring 2022. If you are interested in the program, or would like more information, reach out to your District Manager at EagleCountyCD@gmail.com or visit our website at EagleCountyCD.com/projects. ECCD is currently looking for ranchers within the district to participate in the program.

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