Researchers at the University of Idaho say they have developed a safer, more cost-effective option to traditional cattle fencing.
Dr. Karen Launchbaugh and her team were not satisfied with the costs of current technology as they can reach hundreds of dollars per head and require extensive upkeep. So, they developed a virtual fence using radio wave technology instead of GPS, that delivers a small shock to the cow’s ear versus its neck.
“We just kept thinking, this seems like a lot of technology; like it could be simpler. We just kept thinking, why use GPS? Why use this energy hog of a GPS collar? Why not make it really, really efficient? What I see ranchers being able to do is do a lot of simpler things on the landscape, like create virtual gates, virtual cattle guards, keep animals out of springs, keep animals out of poisonous plants, keep animals from crossing a stream where a fence tries to keep them from crossing,” said Launchbaugh.
Dr. Launchbaugh says her team’s new virtual fencing is cheaper, less dependent on energy, and more durable than traditional fencing options.
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