Virtual fencing – where we started and where we are in 2026

Jaymelynn Farney, beef systems specialist – Parsons

Rangeland management is important for all cattle operations that utilize this resource. Managing this valuable resource balances livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, soil and water conservation, and overall ecosystem health over the long term. Many of these can be managed by appropriately setting up grazing plans. Grazing plans are diverse, and there is no “one-size-fits-all”; therefore, many tools are important for rangeland management.

Fencing is a major component of implementing grazing plans. Grazing plans can range from determining stocking rates based on forage production to continuous grazing to mob grazing, with multiple pasture movements within a day. One aspect of all grazing plans is the development of fencing to contain or exclude livestock from specific areas.

In the history of fencing in the USA, we went from small exclusion fences around small gardens/crop fields during the open-range period to permanent fence boundaries around each operation. Then, as more was understood about cattle’s preference for grazing upland or riparian areas, etc., cross-fencing became the “norm” to better utilize land resources. The cross-fencing consisted of both permanent fences and temporary “electric” fencing. The use of electric fencing really increased the flexibility of grazing plans. The next step in tools to improve grazing distribution and provide flexibility to an operation is the use of virtual fencing technologies.

Virtual fences have been in use since the early 1970s, with a patent accepted for a device that contained and controlled dogs. This was the first virtual fencing apparatus in the USA. Within a decade, that technology was applied to goats to assess its effectiveness in containing them while they grazed leafy spurge. Several types of virtual fences have been developed, and to date, the technology is advancing rapidly. Many of the commercially available products were developed outside the USA; thus, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that such products entered the USA.

There are multiple products on the market, and new companies are constantly entering the market. Due to this, understanding the differences between the products is important when investigating the potential use of virtual fences. There are differences in collar energy source (solar or battery operated); connectivity (base stations, cellular, direct-to-satellite); software accessibility (mobile app, computer, or both); and pasture and herd size. Thus, completing research on the products is important before starting discussions with the companies.

The tables below provide a snapshot of commercial cattle products available in the USA as of August 2026. It is important to reiterate that technologies are rapidly changing, and the information in the table could become obsolete quickly; thus, reach out to the companies of interest after using this table to determine which options fit your operation. To date, there is one company that has virtual fences for goats (NoFence), and Monil is testing collars for sheep in Norway.

Table 1. Virtual fence vendor comparison of software, collar type, and purchase options for technology

Company	Software Base	Collar Connectivity	Collar Energy Source	Equipment purchase type
eShepherd Gallagher-next	Computer or mobile app	Base stations or Cellular	Solar	Base station: purchase outright Collars: purchase outright Subscription: Monthly subscription for collars while using
Halter	Mobile app and computer	Base stations or Direct-to-satellite	Solar	Base station: Purchase outright Collars: covered in a yearly subscription
Monil	Mobile app	Cellular	Solar	Collars: purchase outright Subscription: yearly
Nofence	Computer or mobile app	Cellular	Rechargeable solar-assisted batteries	Collars: purchase outright or option of 5-year lease-to-own Subscription: yearly or monthly plans
Vence	Computer with a view only on the mobile app	Base stations	Replaceable batteries	Base station: Purchase outright Collars: included in yearly subscription

 

Table 2. Virtual fence vendor functions

Company	Herd Size Minimum	Pasture Size Min – Max	Other tools offered aside from containment
eShepherd Gallagher -next p>	20+	45 ft x 45 ft No max p>	Releasing tools to help with water monitoring, cattle weight, and pasture biomass to supplement virtual fencing
Halter	100+	32 sq ft/animal No max p>	Heat detection (rollout USA 2025)
monil	6+	30 ft diameter	Health alerts Motionless collar Daily activity charts Heat alert
Nofence	5+	0.5 -25,000 ac	Low activity health alert
Vence	100+	>200 ac No max	No movement alerts