Training Livestock

Livestock with no previous exposure to VF can be trained to use the system within a week. Though the specifics vary between companies, the training period typically follows a similar process. Here’s a general overview of how it works:

Livestock are equipped with VF collars and moved into a hard wire pasture. The VF itself is set up so that one side crosses through the middle of the pasture, while the other sides extend well beyond it. Over the course of about four days to a week, the livestock interact with the VF, becoming familiar with the audio and pulse cues and intuitively associating them with a boundary they should turn away from. It's normal for some animals to cross the boundary during this initial phase. When this happens, they should be guided back inside the VF either by driving them back or by placing an attractant, like the only water source, within the designated area.

The overall goal of this training is for the animals to learn that the audio and electric pulse cues indicate a boundary that they should not cross. With sufficient training, the livestock will quickly adapt to new VF configurations with varying shapes and sizes.