[00:00:02] Speaker A: This one we have for you all today. It is an absolute must listen to. Could change the way you're going about your fencing crew. Let's ranch it up.
Good day everyone and thanks for riding with us on this all new episode of the ranch it up radio show. I'm Jeff Ticker Earhart.
A big thank you goes out to Our Partners Ranch Channel.com Wolf cattle Jorgensen land and cattle Trans Ova genetics Axio to animal health bringing us lactopro and multi men the American Galva Association Imogene ingredients bringing US Pharma 10 Westway feed products Medora boot and western wear. The world famous Mile City buck and horse sale. It's coming up fast in about a month y'all. Allied Genetic Resources and Allied feeding partners livestock market.com equine market.com auction time.com the Tri State Livestock News RFD TV Wrangler and this fine radio station. It's been over 10 years that we have been bringing you stories, information, news, markets, everything about the cow business. Yep, I've been in yalls years for over 10 years now and this one, this one today is probably the most intrigued I've been in a long time. I gotta be honest about that. Now we are always trying to bring you solutions. The latest and greatest genetic information, nutritional strategies, reproduction, marketing, grazing, all of it. Got any idea what we're covering this week? And I haven't even danced with this topic until now but it may change the way that we muster the cattle instead of yelling come boss or the siren on the cake truck. So before we begin, this is where we really want to hear from you. Your thoughts and comments. 707-Ranch 20. That's 707-726-2420. You can call or you can text by the way if you do call it does go directly to my voicemail right away. By the way our email ranch it up
[email protected] today the topic virtual fencing. You all heard me correctly. Virtual fencing gaining more and more curiosity and popularity the past couple years. Gary Tiller is the director of commercial operations for Vents Virtual fencing a part of Merc Animal Health. Gary, my interests is beyond peaked when someone says virtual fencing. Here we go. What is virtual fencing?
[00:02:41] Speaker B: Well, virtual fencing, let's. Let's take a step back in history. We we've always used fence to contain cattle. We stacked rocks, we put poles together, we created barbed wire, we created electrical fencing. And virtual fencing is just the next evolution in fencing whereby we take out all the old rules. We utilize a collar and Behavior and stimulus to control the behavior of the cattle versus having to use a physical barrier.
[00:03:10] Speaker C: And I have to say this because I am completely ignorant to this, but I am so fascinated because you, you've heard this before. I have got more old barbed wire fence that I need to pull out. I do this spring that I need to pull out. And I was going to hot run a lot of this stuff is what I was going to do. So virtual fencing, we have a collar on the calves, cows, whatever the case is. And you said by a stimulus. Now is that like a little shock collar that if they go outside of a barrier, it gives them, gives them a little zzz.
[00:03:41] Speaker B: So if you think about it, it's base form, It's a lot like the invisible fence that you use for your dog and for dog containment. So our system has three components. One is the collar. And within the collar you have a gps, you have a communications chip and you. And you also have the, the ability to send a audible signal and an electric impulse to create a stimulus to control the behavior of the cattle.
[00:04:09] Speaker C: I had mentioned that I was going to put some hot wire in and I wanted to make some different runs and I wanted to do some intensive grazing.
So can I do that? Can I change my, my perimeter, my barriers? Can I constantly change that?
[00:04:25] Speaker B: So I would say the first thing is with virtual fence, we recommend you have a good, a good solid perimeter fence. You know, good fences make good neighbors. Amen. So the real advantage to virtual fencing is all of that sort of roll and unroll electric fence that you would do to deliver on what your grazing management plan is. That all goes away. So what you're now allowed to do is to go onto your software and click and drag and build virtual pastures all around your ranch. You can set those pastures up to be on a timer where cattle are in X amount of hours or days. And then the virtual fence will drop, they'll move to the next pasture, the virtual fence will come back up. So just literally, we like to say whatever you want to accomplish, you're only limited by your imagination in terms of how you create these virtual fences and how you deliver on your grazing management plan.
[00:05:16] Speaker C: So here's where I come in with the ya butts and you've heard them all. But I gotta really ask this. Bovine are an interesting creature because they are based on habit, repetition and behavior. So a barbed wire fence and I'm fussy? You can ask Beck. I am the fussiest when it comes to fix and fence the cattle. Learn to respect that and they see that barrier. Now, if there is a virtual barrier there, what is going to cause those cows to move beyond this virtual barrier into the next paddock per se, and then behind them, another virtual barrier will go up because cattle are based on pattern. And if they get that external stimulus when they get too close to that, what's going to make them go beyond it?
[00:06:06] Speaker A: Or is it the fact that there.
[00:06:07] Speaker C: Is that fresh forage that is going to be tempting and they will naturally move? Is that. How am I understanding that? How is it going to work?
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So let's take a step back. So part of your setup and training when you employ virtual fencing is a time period at the very beginning where you condition these cattle to the stimulus. So this is just very similar to.
[00:06:29] Speaker C: Running stockers and training them to a barbed wire to a hot wire.
[00:06:32] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. It's classical conditioning from Skinner to Pavlo. And so early on in the training phase, you will overlay a barbed wire fence or a permanent fence, and you'll set your signal and your pulse so that when the cow come up to the hard fence, they will get the stimulus and they will start association, start associating that with the, with the barrier where they need to stop. However, the next phase of it is to create virtual fences within that training paddock that have no visual fence behind it so that they only start living off of the cues. And so ultimately, that's your goal. You only want them to really modify their behavior based on the audible cue. So literally, when you drop a fence as the cows graze toward it, as long as they don't get an audible cue, they will continue to graze. It's not like, because there is no permanent fence for them to see, there's no visual cue. They're just head down, grazing. No audible cue. I can just keep on walking.
[00:07:34] Speaker A: In addition to the electrical stimulus you mentioned audible. And I'm assuming that this management controlled practice is answering a number of BQA questions?
[00:07:44] Speaker B: Absolutely. And there's a lot of studies done here in the US and Australia and in the EU as it pertains to virtual fencing. Countries like Australia and the EU have a very, very, very strict sort of animal welfare set of guidelines. And so we have to do the work, we have to be approved to be in there. So I would say that just from a pure research perspective, these products have been researched from an animal welfare perspective extremely well. And as a result, we're able to operate in some of the toughest countries when it comes to regulation around, around electrical stimulation and electrical fencing.
[00:08:25] Speaker A: It is time now for a quick break, but we are not done yet. When we come back on the Ranch it up radio show, Gary and I talk more about the practical application of virtual fence and just a whole lot more about it. Keep it parked y'all. We'll be right back. Livestockmarket.com offers all the tools you need for a successful production sale. The easy to use online platform makes it easy to take bids from anywhere in the world. Buyers can place pre bids and real time bids, browse your sales catalog and watch your sale broadcast live. Livestockmarket.com is also the ideal platform for private treaty sales and timed online only auctions. There's no easier way to find buyers for cattle, horses, sheep and hay. Sell on your terms today with Livestock Market.com one of the top seed stock producers in the world, Jorgensen Landon Cattle invites you to their 53rd annual Top Cut Bull Sale, Monday, April 21st at the Lazy J Grand Lodge in Ideal, South Dakota. Selling over 200 Angus bulls sired by some of the most recognized sires in the Angus business. Bid and buy online at DV Auction and superior livestock sale information available at ranch channel.com and jorgensenfarms.com One of the largest suppliers of seed stock in the nation, Jorgensen Land and cattle the 2025 world famous miles City Bucking Horse Sale starts with horse racing six days with Pari Mutuel wagering May 3rd and 4th on Derby days coinciding with the Kentucky Derby that'll be shown live in Miles City, Montana. Mother's Day is extra special with the moms free to the races and more races added. May 16th through the 18th. The world famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale where the spirit of the west comes alive. For a full schedule and tickets, head online to buckinghorsesale.com cattle battle welcome back to the Ranch it up radio Show. The most information packed into a 30 minute program you can find. It's your All Things Ranching newscast and so glad to be hanging out with y'all. Questions, Comments? Concerns? Criticisms? Rants? It doesn't matter. Call or text. And on this subject we want to hear from you all. The phone number is 707 Ranch 2707-726-2420. You can call or you can text that number. If you do call, it does go directly to my voicemail by the way and our email. Ranch it up
[email protected] prowling around social media at Ranch It Up Show. Virtual fencing it is a reality. The technology is here and now. Gary Tiller, director of commercial operations for Vents Virtual Fencing, a part of Merck Animal Health, is back with us with more.
[00:11:06] Speaker C: So do you have studies that you've got different classes of cattle that are actually grazing on these that, that you like? Hey, we've got this data, X, Y and Z.
[00:11:16] Speaker B: Absolutely. So Today there's probably 30 or 40 peer reviewed papers that are either in publication or will be presented at the Society of Range Management Convention. These papers have been done by all of your accredited land grant universities. And it's from Montana State, North Dakota State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, New Mexico State. Anywhere that you've got a really solid grazing or range management school, you've got people doing the work. This is not a difference in time in terms of fencing, it's just how we deliver that fencing. And really what this creates is a flexibility that ranchers have never had, a flexibility to put fences in areas that.
[00:11:58] Speaker A: But is it cost effective though?
[00:11:59] Speaker C: I guess is where I'm getting that.
[00:12:00] Speaker B: Absolutely. What I would say is if it's not cost effective, ranchers won't employ it. It's just that simple. And return on capital deployed is the primary metric. So there's multiple ways to start calculating that. And what I would say to anyone is we really need to sit down together and talk about what your goals are. Because if your goals are simply more pounds per acre, then we have strategies to do that. If your goal is to improve it, improve your land from a environmental perspective, to promote a higher bird population or to create corridors to allow easy migration of elk and mule deer, because that's an additional income stream.
[00:12:46] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:12:47] Speaker B: Besides just pure pounds. And so that's what I like to talk, I like to have the conversation with people because we do tend to get focused in the ranching world in this particular deal as this is a cost to my cow calf operation. But I think what you really have to sit back and say is I can make this thing cash flow with my cow calf operation. I can make money with this and then start looking at all of these sort of other intangible things that occur as a result of improving your grasslands, of removing cross fencing and, and frankly just being able to see any time of the day or night where your cows are and what they're doing.
[00:13:21] Speaker C: And I know obviously we don't want to. I'd be remiss if I didn't say water. If you're thinking about that, guys, you know that. But I have to say that make sure you're viable water source number one. So can you tell me what, what cost investment is per cow, Is it in our situation, looking at stockers, is that financially viable? Maybe that's where I was going with pounds per acre because of the trade off. And then the investment in the actual, the actual equipment, the gear, the collars and all that. Can you tell me roughly what we're looking at for costs right now?
[00:13:52] Speaker B: Absolutely I can. But it's all very dependent on your ranch. So, so there's other, other virtual fencing companies out there but, and we all have a different business model and we all, all employ the technology different. So with you, your, your place specifically we would need to take a look at the, at the shapefile of your ranch. We would put that through some proprietary software, exaggerate your terrain, see, overlay that with a telecommunication signal to see what does the communication pattern on your ranch look like. And then we would put in base stations to really, to sort of elevate that ability to move data around the ranch is really, because you're moving data from the collar to the ranch, to the cloud, to your software, making a decision on that data, uploading those instructions to the cloud back down to the ranch and then dispersing those instructions to the cows. And so your individual ranch is really individual to you. It's individual to what your goals are, it's individual to the topography and it's also individual to what does the telecommunications infrastructure in your area entail and what are we going to need to do to maximize that infrastructure to start a conversation?
[00:15:03] Speaker C: Oh my gosh, this is so fascinating. Is it get a hold of you folks.
[00:15:09] Speaker A: I love the fact that you say.
[00:15:11] Speaker C: This is a one on one consultation because everybody's so different. Our goals are different, the cattle are different, the existing fence is different, the water is different, terrain is different.
Is that really the best way is to just reach out and say I've got some questions. How do I even start? Where's the cost come out? How do I even do this?
[00:15:29] Speaker B: It's literally the only way to do that.
[00:15:31] Speaker C: I love it.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: And so, and so there's multiple ways to get a hold of us. There's, we have multiple field days throughout the year in all major ranching areas. You can find that on our social media page on Facebook or Instagram at Vince Virtual fencing, you can attend one of those, you can go to the website, you can fill out a card on, on an, information on, on the website and within 48 hours somebody from my staff will reach out and start having that conversation. And once we determine that first conversation what your goals are, you'll be moved on to a specialist. And I think one of the really, really nice things about, about Vince is, is that we kind of break, we kind of break the process into two pieces, sort of the pre deployment sales piece of it. But then once you, once you have, once we have determined that Vince is the right fit for you and that your grazing management plan and what your goals are right fit for the system, once that happens, we will assign you an individual rancher success person who will walk you through setup, will walk you through how to work with the software and they're at your disposal anytime you need to talk to them. They will consult with you on the grazing management plan. They will consult throughout the year to see where your results are versus what you thought they were and what you wanted to accomplish. Recommend changes to the plan potentially. And so and all of my rancher success team are people from ranching backgrounds. So we can, we can talk the talk. We understand what your goals are.
[00:17:05] Speaker A: We understand you fixed enough fence in.
[00:17:07] Speaker C: Your day and rusty barbed wire through, you know, water gaps.
[00:17:10] Speaker B: My gosh man. My folks have rolled and unrolled enough electric fence that they don't want to have anything to do with it. Right. So it's really, it's really a nice thing because, because you'll have a personalized touch by someone that really understands what you're trying to accomplish and what your day to day struggles are on the ranch.
[00:17:28] Speaker A: Gary Tiller, thank you so much for the time. I guarantee y'all are literally making a mental map of your place and seeing where and how this might work, the convenience of it perhaps. Well, here is where to get started. You can head to Vents virtual fencing on social media. They will link you up to vents fence.com that's vincefence.com which will go directly to the Merck animal health page. All of their information is there and as always you can always click on the show notes for this
[email protected] and we have all of that information available as well. Gary, thank you so much for the time. Now break number two. When we come back we we talk markets and a whole lot more of the cow stuff when we come back.
[00:18:18] Speaker D: Ranch channel.com I'll give you just a few seconds to head there on your phone. Ranch channel.com your farm and ranch network on demand bull sales, western events, product information right at your fingertips on the ultimate cowboy friendly platform. Want to follow up to date markets ranchchannel.com no need to dig for information on all these different websites. It's all right there on ranch channel.com y'all are loving it now, aren't you?
[00:18:47] Speaker A: It's time now to start adding value to those Galvi and Balancer calves. The American Galvi association offers a wide variety of DNA tests and delivers its members and customers tools for success within the beef industry. You owe it to yourself by going to galvie.org looking for the best way to raise healthy, productive beef? Try Westway Feed Products. Westway's liquid supplements boost forage utilization, efficiency and sustainability, ensuring faster weight gain and better health. Visit westwayfeed.com or call 800-875-17 Westway Feed Products raising the bar in Beef Production get ready for the thrill of a lifetime.
The world famous Pyle City Bucking Horse Sale is back featuring one of the largest one day match bronc riding events. Join us Sunday, May 18th at the Fairgrounds for a PRCA sanctioned Spectacle where over 30 elite bronc riders compete for a massive $50,000 purse. Plus add to the excitement with paramutual wagering. Visit buckinghorse sale.com for full schedule and tickets. The world famous Mile City Bucking Horse Sale where the spirit of the west comes alive.
Welcome back everyone to the Ranch it up radio show. That time in the program we check in with Kirk Dodgebock, Stonex Financial Incorporated. Kirk, what do you got for numbers for us this week?
[00:20:09] Speaker E: As of Friday, April 11th, May feeders closed the week at 278.80. That's up 392.5 on the week with the CME feeder index down 582 at 286.13. That left the basis or the difference versus April futures at negative 63 cents or basically even and versus May futures at positive 733. So cash is trading 733 over May futures. June Live cow closed the week at 196.60. That's down $1.60 on the week with cash trading 204 in the south and 208 in the north on light volume. That left the five area weighted average down $4.46 at 207.80 and the basis versus April futures at positive 550. 5. Choice boxes closed the week down 423 at 334.2. Two boxes have actually held up quite well in the face of the equity uncertainty. Weekly slaughter was 564,000 head. That's down 27,000 head versus last week and 34,000 head below the same week last year. Packers ended the week short bought, but going into a shortened week with Easter coming up, dressed weights were up 3 pounds at 873. That's 25 pounds above last year, but the combination of lighter slaughter and higher weights left production down 1.7% versus the same week last year. Drop this up may corn closed at 489 and a half. That's up 29 cents on the weekend. Technically the charts broke out through overhead resistance and looked very bullish for the moment. Fundamentally we have some delayed Planning being about 2% behind last year and a USDA was report showing corn ending stocks at two year lows.
[00:21:45] Speaker F: Hey all, Mark Van Zee with equinemarket.com coming up this Wednesday, April 23rd, we have our monthly horse and hay online auction. Bidding opens at $100. No reserves. All horses will sell. Featured lots include a Palomino, Tennessee Walking Mare 2020 will go for miles in the mountains. Saddle broke leads gets in and out of the trailer with no fuss from Keck Horses In Coeur d'Alene, Idaho a gray quarter horse gelding, 5 years old 15 hands was in the mountains all last summer pushing cattle in southern Colorado from Mondragon ranch in Carlsbad, New Mexico. J Boss Spearhoss, A Bay Apha gelding 202015 Hands ridden bareback end saddle the sweet beautiful horse from rich horses in St. Augustine, Texas. DT pay with my cat Pepto, a sorrel Aqha colt 202314 hands sons of Bamakap money earner and the dam is a granddaughter of Peptozino 161, a coming two year old and ready to be turned over to your cutting trainer. From D and T Quarter Horses and Breeding farm in Hockley, Texas. Frenchman's Pepe Gold, a Palomino AQHA Colt 2025 fold in January. Excellent nature currently will load back out of the trailer, tie on a picket line lead and more. Being worked with regularly and will be sold up to date on Coggins, vaccinations, worming trim feet and everything else. Featured haylots include 80 small square prairie grass bales selling on four 20 bale lots. Wire tie from Cobes Auctions in David City, Nebraska. 60 large square grass bales 3x3x8 clean bale dry stored inside from Kennel county equipment in Osego, Illinois and 126 large round baje bales selling on three 42 bale lots. It's 4x5 825 lb very clean fertilized from Lazy K Ranch In Avery, Texas. Bidding opens at just $100 and is currently live. But all those horses will sell the morning of Wednesday, April 23rd at 10am Central Time. You got a horse to sell. Regular online horse auctions fourth Wednesday of every month with hay sales Every Wednesday on equinemarket.com and auctiontime.com all this technology.
[00:23:43] Speaker G: Is cool, but how can ranchers actually apply it and see a return on investment from it? Hey. Hey. I'm Shea Wanner and I host the casual Catt Conversations podcast. I sat down with Andrew Uden to talk about a wearable technology called Herd Dog and how ranchers can use that to aid in heat detection, miss cycles, and cattle health. Here's a little bit of our conversation.
[00:24:05] Speaker H: Looking out a little further. We also get to see things like missed cycles. So, you know, you catch different cycles and suddenly you miss a cycle. And now we can go in. And when I pulled this report, this was last year, when I pulled this report, this cow was 46 days bred. When we actually pregged her, we were accurate to this day to her last cycle and when she was bred. And so that's what gets really exciting for ranchers. This was actually a dairy heifer. But on ranches, as we look at those cycle patterns and missing those heats and then being able to say, at least preliminarily she's bred, you know, I don't preg check until October. On our ranch, that's kind of been my dad's standard forever, is when we wean, we preg check. We have no idea up to that date what our breeding rate is. Right. Every year it's this huge surprise and we're usually within a ballpark range. But if you have a bad year or it gets dry right in the middle of breeding season and you're low on nutrients, your cows could look great and not breed well. And so, you know, to have an idea of, do I need to leave my bulls out for an extra cycle? Can I pull bulls early? What's it going to be coming into the fall? Should I wean early and try and get some of these cows to market rather than continuing to put more expenses into them? It just gives you another management tool, right?
[00:25:23] Speaker G: Listen to the full story by searching for casual cattle conversations on your favorite podcast player. Happy ranching, folks.
[00:25:29] Speaker A: And now that's going to wrap it up for today. A big thanks to our crew. Gary Taylor with Vents Virtual Fencing, a part of Merck Animal Health. Kirk Donsbach, Stonex Financial Incorporated. Mark vanzie with equinemarket.com Shea Warner Casual Cattle Conversations A big thank you goes out to Our Partners Ranch Channel.com Wolf cattle Jorgensen land and Cattle their sale coming up on Monday by the way and all their information available@ranch channel.com trans over genetics Axiota Animal Health bringing us Multi Men in Lactopro, the American Galvi Association Imogene Ingredients bringing us Pharmatan Westway Feed products, Medora Boot and Western wear, the world famous Miles City Buck and Horse Sale, Allied Genetic Resources and Allied feeding partners livestock market.com equine market.com auction time.com the Tri State Livestock News RFD TV Wrangler and this fine radio station and crew. So glad you all came with us one more time as we ranch it up. Be sure to follow and like us on Facebook at Ranch It Up Show. Our email is ranch it up showmail.com you can call and you can text 24. 7. That phone number is 707 Ranch 2020. Stay ranchy and ranch it up.
