Managing your cattle operation’s virtual fencing can now be conveniently done from anywhere with the launch of an app from Corral Technologies. The app is available on either mobile or the Corral Tech website.
“This app is fairly simple to use on your phone, computer or tablet,” says Jack Keating, founder of Corral Technologies and Nebraska cattle producer. “Although it’s simple in design, the app provides Corral Tech customers with valuable data that they can use for decision making on their operations.”
Simple, Yet Game Changing Technology
One of the challenges of rotational grazing is the need for beef producers to frequently go where cattle are to move them between pastures, but the Corral Tech app completely eliminates this issue.
The web app offers Corral Tech users a wide variety of functions, including:
- Drawing pastures or exclusion zones
- Creating herds of cows
- Assigning herds to pastures
- Moving herds between pastures with a pre-selected route
- Place water tanks, salt/mineral locations and gates
- See cow locations
- View cow location history over set periods of time
- Heat mapping of real-time cow distribution in pastures
Having this informative data available to cattle producers can show them where cattle are grazing most heavily in a pasture, so pastures don’t become overgrazed and can be optimized. As long as cows wearing a Corral Tech collar come in within range of a cell phone tower once a day, they will the software with their most recent locations. Cattle will stay contained within their assigned pastures without cell service.
“I’m excited to see how Corral Tech users will utilize this software,” Keating says. “Corral Tech is used by cattlemen across 15 states with a variety of cattle breeds, so our team looks forward to seeing how each cattle producer uses the program for their own unique operation and what additional functionality we can expand the app with moving forward.”
Why Virtual Fencing
Virtual fencing allows ranchers to control livestock on rangeland without needing expensive infrastructure of physical fences. Cattle wear collars that communicate using GPS and reception towers. When an animal comes to the limits of the virtual fence set by the rancher, an auditory stimuli in a series of loud beeps is emitted by the collar. If the animal continues beyond the boundaries of the virtual fence, they will receive a benign shock. Cattle have demonstrated the ability to quickly learn the cues associated with virtual fencing, and eventually only respond to the audio stimuli.
Utilizing virtual fencing can help ranchers improve soil and water quality through improved management of rotational grazing. Rotational grazing can help stimulate plant regrowth and add manure to the soil while helping prevent overgrazing. Virtual fencing enables ranchers to more frequently and efficiently move cattle between pastures with reduced labor inputs and in areas that are difficult to fence.
Founded in 2020, Corral Technologies was launched by Keating, who grew up on a Nebraska ranch. Keating’s motivation to start Corral Technologies was to increase the carrying capacity while reducing fencing costs as the price of satellite connectivity and cloud-based software continued to become more affordable.
