Complete Technology Directory

Verified pricing and features for 2025-2026

Virtual Fencing Health Monitoring Advanced Monitoring Autonomous Herding Software Feeding & Watering

Virtual Fencing & GPS Tracking

Halter

Market leader | Founded 2016 | New Zealand

High Stability

Pricing

$72/head/year + $4,500 tower

Funding

$181M raised, $1B+ valuation

Key Features

5-year collar warranty, 11K+ miles of VF in US

Nofence

Multi-species | Founded 2011 | Norway

High Stability

Pricing

$329/collar + $42-56/yr renewal

Funding

$35M Series B (Sep 2025)

Key Features

8-month billing option for seasonal use

Vence (Merck)

LoRaWAN collars | Founded 2018 | USA

Very High Stability

Pricing

$40/head/year + $10K base station

Parent Company

Merck Animal Health ($5B+ revenue)

Key Features

Only provider with leasing option

Gallagher eShepherd

Solar collars | Founded 2014 | Australia

Very High Stability

Pricing

~$250/collar (buy outright)

Parent Company

Gallagher Group ($2B+ revenue, est. 1938)

Key Features

7-year solar battery, no subscription lock-in

Virtual Fencing Cost Comparison (100-Head Operation)

Provider Year 1 Cost Year 2+ Annual 3-Year Total Best For
Halter $11,700 $7,200 $26,100 Premium support, 5-yr warranty
Nofence $37,700 $4,200-$5,600 $46-49K Multi-species, seasonal ops
Vence $14,000 $4,000 $22,000 Budget-conscious, leasing
Gallagher $25,000 Minimal ~$26,000 Avoiding subscriptions

Health Monitoring & Smart Tags

Allflex SenseHub

Merck Animal Health

  • Pricing: Quote-based (Starter, Advanced, Premium tiers)
  • Technology: Ear tags with temp/activity/rumination
  • Battery: 5 years (new LED tags)
  • Warranty: 4 years
Very High Stability

HerdDogg

Bluetooth 5 ear tags

  • Pricing: "Lower cost than competitors" (contact for quote)
  • TraceTag: 5-yr battery (ID/location)
  • WelfareTag: 2-yr battery (biometrics)
  • Features: 480 readings/day, 100+ yard range
Medium Stability

Ceres Tag

Direct-to-satellite GPS

  • Pricing: ~$120/tag (includes 3 years satellite)
  • Technology: No infrastructure needed
  • Coverage: 30+ countries
  • Best For: Remote pastures without connectivity
Medium-High Stability

mOOvement

Australian GPS ear tags

  • Pricing: $44/tag + $6/year subscription
  • Technology: GPS tracking + alerts
  • Infrastructure: None required for basic tracking
  • Best For: Budget-conscious operations
Medium Stability
Market Context: The global smart livestock electronic ear tag market is $500M in 2025, growing at 15% CAGR through 2033. 47% of small farms report affordability concerns.

Advanced Monitoring Technologies

smaXtec Rumen Bolus

In-rumen temperature/activity/rumination sensor

Bolus Cost

~$30/bolus

Subscription

~$3/month

Base Station

~$6,500

Battery Life

5 years

Primarily dairy-focused. Detects bird flu 7 days before symptoms. One Wisconsin dairy reported 7.8x ROI.

CowManager Ear Sensor

Ear temp + eating/rumination/activity monitoring

Pricing

~$75-150/cow (quote-based)

Warranty

Lifetime with subscription

Modules

Health, Fertility, Nutrition, Transition, Youngstock

Moocall Calving Sensor

Tail-mounted contraction detection

Sensor Cost

~$227

Annual Subscription

$135-166/year

Alert Time

1-2 hours before calving

Accuracy

95%

Each sensor covers ~30 cattle/season. No WiFi needed (GSM SIM). 1M+ calvings monitored in 65+ countries.

Technology Comparison Matrix

Feature Ear Tags CowManager Rumen Bolus Moocall Collar (Halter)
Heat Detection Good Excellent Good No Excellent
Calving Alert Limited Good Excellent Excellent Good
Health Monitoring Good Excellent Excellent No Good
Location/GPS Some No No No Yes
Virtual Fencing No No No No Yes
Typical Cost/Head $15-120 $75-150 ~$42+/yr Shared $60-250/yr

Autonomous Herding (Drones & Robots)

GrazeMate

YC W26 | Fully autonomous AI herding drones

  • Funding: $1.2M pre-seed (Jan 2026)
  • Pricing: Lease + monthly subscription
  • Coverage: 1.7M acres committed in Queensland/NSW
  • Features: Weight estimation, grass biomass, health detection

SkyKelpie

Australia | Manual piloting with dog-bark audio

  • Pricing: $2,650-$40,990 (DJI-based packages)
  • Track Record: 500K+ head mustered
  • ROI Reported: AUD $80-100K/yr savings vs helicopter
  • Training: 5-day Remote Pilot License course available

BeeFree Agro

Israel | Software-only solution

  • Pricing: SaaS subscription (quote-based)
  • Hardware: Works on any off-the-shelf drone
  • Capacity: Up to 1,000 head per session
  • Best For: Ranchers who already own drones

SwagBot

University of Sydney | Ground robot (R&D)

  • Status: Research & Development
  • Availability: Not commercially available
  • Capabilities: Pasture assessment, autonomous herding
  • Best For: Research partnerships

Important: Habituation Effect

Research from University of Miyazaki found significant limitations with drone herding:

  • • Day 1: 59% response rate, 51-75% herding success
  • • Day 3+: "Almost no effect on grazing distribution"
  • • After 24-day rest: "Responsiveness barely recovered"

Conclusion: Cattle habituate quickly to drone stimuli; effectiveness decreases rapidly with repeated use.

Software Platforms

CattleMax

$15-45/month

All-around herd management, 70+ countries

Herdwatch

Free tier + paid

Mobile-first, USDA compliance, simplicity

Ranch Manager

One-time purchase

Desktop + mobile, offline capability, accounting

MaiaGrazing

Contact for pricing

Regenerative focus, grazing optimization

PastureMap

Free via Grassroots Carbon

Grazing planning for carbon credit participants

Farmbrite

$15-50/month

Multi-species farms, comprehensive

Feeding & Watering Automation

Automated Feeders

Solar Feeders

$3,000-8,000 | Solar-powered, programmable

Auto Waterers

Ritchie / Miraco

$400-1,500 | Industry standard, heated options

Bar Bar A

$439-759 | No electricity required

DP Waterer

$400-800 | Frost-free, self-draining