Using eShepherd for Winter Preparation at Barrington Ranch | Gallagher United States
Tuesday, 19 November, 2024
Barrington Ranch, located near Crater Mountain in British Columbia, Canada, operates in an environment defined by extreme winter conditions and rugged mountainous terrain. Managing cow/calf pairs across this challenging landscape requires innovation, especially during the harsh winter months. The ranch is managed by Matt Quaedvlieg, who oversees day-to-day operations and grazing strategies. Supporting him is Thomas Alexander, a graduate student at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), who focuses on utilizing and managing the eShepherd technology as part of a research project on the future of rangeland management, under the guidance of Dr. John Church, the cattle research chair at TRU.
Thomas has a long-standing connection to Barrington Ranch, having worked with Matt since he was 13, visiting from Alberta during the summers. Now 23, he plays a key role in integrating eShepherd’s virtual fencing technology into the ranch’s operations. “My responsibilities this year were to manage the collars and ensure the cattle were moving over the landscape correctly under Matt’s direction,” Thomas explains.
Winter grazing has always posed significant challenges at Barrington Ranch, with snow often making it impossible for cattle to graze. “When snow conditions worsen, we need to bring the cattle close to home for feeding,” Thomas says. “Until that point, eShepherd helps us track and contain the herd in nearby pastures.” For Matt, the technology provides a critical advantage in reducing winter feed costs, the ranch’s largest expense. “Extending the grazing period and lowering labor costs with eShepherd significantly reduces our input expenses,” he adds.
Before adopting eShepherd, the ranch relied on conventional fencing and labor-intensive methods for grazing management. Roundups, in particular, were costly and time-consuming, often requiring multiple trips to gather all the animals. Thomas recalls, “This year, with eShepherd collars, we were able to group cattle into a smaller area and use live location tracking to round up every single animal on the first trip—a first since Barrington Ranch began running cattle on this mountain range in 1975.”
The flexibility of eShepherd’s virtual fencing has been a game-changer in navigating the ranch’s rugged terrain. Adjusting boundaries quickly and easily has enabled the team to adapt to changing conditions and manage cattle strategically. “Relocating the base station and adjusting boundaries is simple and efficient,” Thomas notes. Matt emphasizes the system’s ability to mitigate risks, such as keeping cattle away from Ponderosa pine trees that can cause pregnancy issues. “With rotational grazing, we can manage forage more effectively while keeping cattle out of high-risk zones,” he explains.
The time and labor savings provided by eShepherd have been especially impactful. The ranch’s leased winter pasture, located 30 minutes from the home ranch, often required frequent trips for fence maintenance and cattle checks. “With eShepherd, we’ve reduced the need for traditional fencing and the time spent retrieving strays,” says Matt. Thomas adds, “We’ve cut labor costs significantly by eliminating repeated trips for roundup and fence repairs.”
Unexpected benefits have also emerged from using eShepherd. The heatmap feature, which shows cattle concentrations within a pasture, has been instrumental in optimizing grazing decisions. Thomas shares, “We used virtual boundaries to split a large pasture into smaller sections, preventing overgrazing and ensuring consistent utilization across the range, even in historically underused areas.”
Reducing grazing costs and improving productivity have been transformative for Barrington Ranch. “By eliminating traditional fencing expenses and reducing labor needs, we’ve seen meaningful savings,” says Thomas. “The ability to manage cattle movement more effectively has also enhanced forage utilization and pasture health.” Matt agrees, noting that eShepherd’s real-time tracking has streamlined operations and improved herd management.
Looking to the future, both Matt and Thomas are excited about the continued use of eShepherd. Thomas focuses on ensuring the collars maintain battery life during colder temperatures. “We hope the collars maintain battery life effectively through the winter,” he says. Matt envisions broader impacts, saying, “We want to keep reducing costs while improving grazing management and animal health. eShepherd makes that vision achievable.”
With Matt Quaedvlieg’s operational expertise and Thomas Alexander’s technical assistance and research, Barrington Ranch is leveraging eShepherd to transform their winter grazing strategies. This innovative approach not only addresses the challenges of a harsh winter climate but also paves the way for sustainable rangeland management in one of Canada’s most demanding ranching environments.
Contact usLearn moreThomas has a long-standing connection to Barrington Ranch, having worked with Matt since he was 13, visiting from Alberta during the summers. Now 23, he plays a key role in integrating eShepherd’s virtual fencing technology into the ranch’s operations. “My responsibilities this year were to manage the collars and ensure the cattle were moving over the landscape correctly under Matt’s direction,” Thomas explains.
Winter grazing has always posed significant challenges at Barrington Ranch, with snow often making it impossible for cattle to graze. “When snow conditions worsen, we need to bring the cattle close to home for feeding,” Thomas says. “Until that point, eShepherd helps us track and contain the herd in nearby pastures.” For Matt, the technology provides a critical advantage in reducing winter feed costs, the ranch’s largest expense. “Extending the grazing period and lowering labor costs with eShepherd significantly reduces our input expenses,” he adds.
Before adopting eShepherd, the ranch relied on conventional fencing and labor-intensive methods for grazing management. Roundups, in particular, were costly and time-consuming, often requiring multiple trips to gather all the animals. Thomas recalls, “This year, with eShepherd collars, we were able to group cattle into a smaller area and use live location tracking to round up every single animal on the first trip—a first since Barrington Ranch began running cattle on this mountain range in 1975.”
The flexibility of eShepherd’s virtual fencing has been a game-changer in navigating the ranch’s rugged terrain. Adjusting boundaries quickly and easily has enabled the team to adapt to changing conditions and manage cattle strategically. “Relocating the base station and adjusting boundaries is simple and efficient,” Thomas notes. Matt emphasizes the system’s ability to mitigate risks, such as keeping cattle away from Ponderosa pine trees that can cause pregnancy issues. “With rotational grazing, we can manage forage more effectively while keeping cattle out of high-risk zones,” he explains.
The time and labor savings provided by eShepherd have been especially impactful. The ranch’s leased winter pasture, located 30 minutes from the home ranch, often required frequent trips for fence maintenance and cattle checks. “With eShepherd, we’ve reduced the need for traditional fencing and the time spent retrieving strays,” says Matt. Thomas adds, “We’ve cut labor costs significantly by eliminating repeated trips for roundup and fence repairs.”
Unexpected benefits have also emerged from using eShepherd. The heatmap feature, which shows cattle concentrations within a pasture, has been instrumental in optimizing grazing decisions. Thomas shares, “We used virtual boundaries to split a large pasture into smaller sections, preventing overgrazing and ensuring consistent utilization across the range, even in historically underused areas.”
Reducing grazing costs and improving productivity have been transformative for Barrington Ranch. “By eliminating traditional fencing expenses and reducing labor needs, we’ve seen meaningful savings,” says Thomas. “The ability to manage cattle movement more effectively has also enhanced forage utilization and pasture health.” Matt agrees, noting that eShepherd’s real-time tracking has streamlined operations and improved herd management.
Looking to the future, both Matt and Thomas are excited about the continued use of eShepherd. Thomas focuses on ensuring the collars maintain battery life during colder temperatures. “We hope the collars maintain battery life effectively through the winter,” he says. Matt envisions broader impacts, saying, “We want to keep reducing costs while improving grazing management and animal health. eShepherd makes that vision achievable.”
With Matt Quaedvlieg’s operational expertise and Thomas Alexander’s technical assistance and research, Barrington Ranch is leveraging eShepherd to transform their winter grazing strategies. This innovative approach not only addresses the challenges of a harsh winter climate but also paves the way for sustainable rangeland management in one of Canada’s most demanding ranching environments.