Mike Hittinger, who farms near Westlock, is the first person in Canada to try the Halter Virtual Fencing system. He’s been using it on his farm since the beginning of January.
Hittinger, the chair of Gateway Research Organization, collaborates with Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) and is involved with the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).
“The opportunity came up and they were looking for someone to trial the system, and I thought it might be a good fit for my operation,” said Hittinger, who runs 200 head on 1,600 acres of pasture.
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WHY IT MATTERS: More virtual fencing options in Canada give ranchers more opportunities to find the right fit for their operation.
How Halter works
The Halter system, created in New Zealand, uses GPS-controlled collars with a solar panel to charge the battery. Hittinger’s trial will also examine how the units function in Canadian cold weather.
Using an app or an aerial image on the internet, producers set up virtual fences wherever they want them.
“You don’t have a physical fence in place. You tell the map, ‘This is where I want this virtual fence to be.’ It downloads the GPS information to each collar, and the collars then know whether they are inside or outside of that boundary, and they guide the cows that way,” he said.
Hittinger can program a virtual fence for a specific herd and put cattle in an area of pasture that is not cross-fenced.
“I draw the fence in the app on the map, and that information is downloaded to the collars via Wi-Fi and then the collars know via GPS signal where they are in proximity to that,” he said.
Cattle are directed into a specific area, called a break. If they try to cross the virtual fence, the collar gives off an audible tone.
“If they continue to cross and continue further, then they get a shock that’s delivered by the collar,” he said. “Once they’re all trained, they will turn around at the sound of the tone. The shock usually provides a second level warning.”
Other virtual fencing options in Canada include systems by Gallagher, NoFence and Vence. Unlike the Gallagher system, where the collar hangs on a strap around the cow’s neck, Halter uses a metal fibre woven into the collar itself.
“The collar looks like a seat belt. They’re adjustable and you can fit them to fit with certain tension on their neck. You don’t want them to fall off, but you don’t want it too tight, particularly on younger animals. You need to provide some room to grow,” said Hittinger.
Advantages of the Halter system
Hittinger has found several benefits. He can manage cattle location from anywhere.
“I can do it from wherever I am,” he said.
He can also divide feeding into blocks on a flexible schedule.
“If I want to do one-day blocks, I could feed, say, five one-day blocks of feed. Or I could do a week’s worth, say, seven blocks of feed. Right now, we’re feeding five silage bales a day. I can roll out five bales in each of the seven paddocks and then have it so the virtual fence moves every day at a set time, whenever I decide that should be,” he said.
The primary benefit is moving cattle without physical fencing.
“For winter feeding, that makes swath grazing quite a bit easier. That makes bale grazing quite a bit easier because I don’t have to go wading through the snow and worry about the cattle pushing on the electric wire, or all the issues surrounding fencing in a winter-feeding system,” he said.
Bred heifers and second calvers with higher nutritional needs can be grouped separately.
“I will go out and feed the bulk of all of these animals in one group, but those animals that need extra nutrition, I give those animals access to a separate area where they can get better hay,” he said.
In summer, Hittinger will be able to rotational graze using half-day, one-day or three-day moves — whatever suits his operation.
Cost and practical considerations
The Halter system is subscription-based at $97 per collar. Towers must also be purchased at about $6,000 each. By comparison, Gallagher collars run about $350 to $400 depending on volume.
Hittinger noted that producers still need a perimeter fence even with virtual fencing. During windstorms or lightning, cattle will scatter and cross the virtual boundary.
The Halter system will be eligible under OFCAF funds for the new funding year, which opens April 10, 2026. The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association also has funds available for producers who want to try the system.
