Virtual fencing and shifting for beef

Halter is a New Zealand company (headquartered in Auckland, with roots in the Waikato) built alongside world-class pasture farmers and is now operating across New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

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Backed by significant research & development, we’ve spent nearly a decade turning virtual fencing into a reliable, everyday pasture management system.

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Halter’s technology is proven at scale on thousands of farms and over one million cattle to enable pasture utilisation and simpler daily operations.

After 10 years of developing virtual fencing and remote shifting technology for dairy farms, we've taken these learnings and built a dedicated product for beef operations.

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We worked closely with partnership farms and industry professionals to understand the unique challenges beef operations face, and launched our easy-to-use virtual fencing and remote shifting tool as a result. Just like with dairy, we'll continue to add to our features, based on the feedback we get from beef farmers.

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Only cattle. No sheep, goats or horses sorry!

Beef cattle are trained to the Halter system over 7 to 10 days.

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Once cattle are trained, they respond primarily to sound and vibration cues.When cattle are grazing within a virtual break, they do not receive any collar cues. If they step outside of the break, a sound cue will play from either the right or left side of the collar, directing them away from the sound and back into the virtual break.

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If they ignore the sound cues, they will receive a low-energy electric pulse (1/10th of the regulated maximum energy of an electric fence) which leads them to step back into the virtual break area.

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When it’s time to shift to their next break, a vibration cue will let cattle know when they’re facing the right direction (i.e. towards the new break), which encourages them to move to the fresh grass.

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Please note that Halter's collar cues for dairy cows are different to those used for beef cattle.

Halter collars and towers are the result of nearly 10 years of research and development.

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Dual speakers deliver clear left–right sound cues and a vibration confirms which direction to walk, so cattle quickly learn predictable, controllable guidance. The solar-powered panels are on the top of the collar, where they get maximum light exposure across the day. That position helps keep collars charged more reliably through short winter days and shaded grazing.

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The latest Halter collars can also connect directly to satellite, so no on-farm tower infrastructure is required.

As a Halter farmer, you’ll have a dedicated Territory Manager based in your region. They’ll work with you to make sure you’re getting the most out of the Halter system, with practical guidance and regular check-ins.

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You’ll also have access to our 24/7 New Zealand-based customer support team via the Halter app. They’ll help with day-to-day questions quickly and general app support.

For large and remote beef farms and stations, the cost and logistics of installing on-farm towers have, at times, been out of reach.‍

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We introduced satellite connectivity to change that, and it's available exclusively for beef farmers. Now, satellite-enabled Halter collars can work anywhere across your beef operation - no on-farm towers or cellular coverage required. Whether you're farming across expansive terrain, managing cattle in remote areas, or operating in a location where installing towers wasn't possible before, you can now access the full benefits of Halter's virtual fencing technology.‍

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Please note: direct-to-satellite connectivity is only available for beef farmers. Dairy farmers continue to use Halter's tower-based system, which is purpose-built for the high-frequency data demands of dairy operations.

Halter is the only virtual fencing company in New Zealand offering satellite-enabled collars, in partnership with One NZ Satellite powered by Starlink.

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Other virtual fencing systems still rely on infrastructure like on-farm towers or cellular 4G/5G networks, where the connection can be unreliable or unavailable across the remote and extensive areas where many beef farms and stations operate. Satellite connectivity provides more dependable remote coverage, without the on-farm infrastructure costs.

Satellite-enabled collars connect to the Halter app directly via satellites, downloading instructions for new grazing areas and sending information - like location data and animal health metrics - back to the app.

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In New Zealand, Halter has partnered with One NZ Satellite powered by Starlink to bring reliable satellite connectivity to the collars, meaning your herd stays connected even in areas with no cell coverage.

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Learn more here.

No - Halter provides all the coverage and connectivity for the collars.

No - the Halter app features are the same whether your collars connect via satellite or towers.

Yes. Halter works under light tree cover in areas where you can still see the sky. If you have any questions about your specific operation, reach out to your local Territory Manager.

Yes. If your operation is intensive and flat, the tower system may be a better option. Talk to your local Halter rep to learn more about whether a tower or satellite-connected system is best for you.

No, not right now. Satellite-enabled collars are for beef farms and stations only. Halter's tower-based system is purpose-built for the high volumes of data that dairy operations depend on - things like real-time heat detection, animal behaviour, and health alerts. For dairy farmers, the tower system remains the best solution.

Satellite-enabled collars are available for beef farms and stations across New Zealand, no matter how remote.