Effective Grazing Management
What is the problem?
Intesive and rotational grazing methods are productive, but also time-consuming and can be logistically challenging, requiring producers to move animals, fencing and water.
Why is it important?
These methods are becoming increasingly important worldwide because of the benefits they offer your animals, the environment, and your productivity.
What does success look like?
You can manage your pasture more effectively by using tools such as virtual fencing, digital grazing management software, and remote pasture monitoring to optimise paddock rotations. While they can be expensive to implement, investments in these technologies can reduce the time and labour needed to move animals, improve pasture production and utilisation, and support healthier, more productive animals.
Encompassed technologies
Portable water systems
- Provides flexible, low-cost alternatives to permanent water infrastructure
- Improves water access for stock in remote or temporary paddocks
- Supports animal welfare and productivity in rotational grazing
Miraco MiraFount
• Range of energy-free, insulated water troughs made from Innovative-impact “Rockite” polyethylene.
• Float valve system maintains consistent water level without electricity.
• Available in multiple sizes and configurations to suit different herd sizes and grazing systems.
• Designed to reduce water freezing and withstand harsh outdoor conditions.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
KIWITECH Micro Trough
• Portable, quick‑connect/disconnect trough ideal for rotational grazing.
• Lightweight and modular—easy to carry or drag behind ATV, with durable materials and Innovative‑flow valve.
• One unit can reliably service ~50 adult cattle.
Estimated Cost
~$47 AUD (portable MicroTrough)
Water monitoring systems
- Monitors water levels, flow, and consumption in real time
- Detects leaks or supply issues early to avoid losses
- Reduces manual checks of tanks and troughs
X42 Monitoring
• Standalone rainwater tank monitoring system using LoRa radio—no internet, subscription fees, or apps needed.
• Displays tank levels and usage trends on a base station with touchscreen, suitable for up to four tanks.
• Designed for small or remote farms needing a simple, plug-and-play solution to ensure water availability.
Estimated Cost
AUD 299 (X42 tank starter kit)
Farmbot
- Remote monitoring for trough, tank, bore and dam water levels, line pressure, diesel levels, flow, rain gauge and cameras.
- Remote and automated pump control linked to Tank water levels.
Estimated Cost
- Tank sensor only: AUD 1,309
- Sensor + rain gauge: AUD 1,570
- Farmbot Lite: AUD 895
Virtual fencing technology
- Controls livestock movement without physical fences
- Reduces labour and input costs while improving land management
- Supports rotational grazing and landscape sustainability
- The best systems include built-in diagnostics (e.g. SMS alerts) that make faults easier to detect and fix, saving time on troubleshooting any potential challenges in set-up.
Halter (collar)
• Cow collar delivers real-time heat and health monitoring.
• Virtual fencing zones automatically move the cows through sound and vibrations from the collar, saving up to 40 hrs/wk.
• LED lights on each collar to allow for easy identification.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Halter (whole system)
Solar‑powered smart collars plus base stations and mobile/desktop app enable virtual fencing, herd movement, and pasture management.
• Create and adjust boundaries remotely, view grazing heatmaps, track animal health and mating, and optimise pasture growth.
• Live on over 200,000 cattle globally, with strong uptake in Tasmania and mainland Australia.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Gallagher’s eShepherd
GPS-enabled, solar-powered neckband that uses sound and vibration to create virtual fencing boundaries.
Allows farmers to remotely manage cattle movement without the need for physical fences.
Estimated Cost
• Collars ~AUD 380-400
• Base station ~AUD 7,500
Automatic drafting gate
- Separates cows automatically for veterinary checks, artificial insemination, or milking
- Saves time and reduces manual handling requirements
Dairymaster – Drafting Systems
• Provides 2 or 3-way drafting of cows using automatic sorting software which can be controlled via computer or mobile app.
• Pathway for each cow can be pre-programmed in advance and save time on physically separating.
Estimated Cost
~AUD 15,000 – 30,000+
Smart ear tags
- Tracks animal location, movement patterns, and grazing behaviour
- Detects changes in activity that may indicate illness, injury, or escape
- Supports grazing management and early detection of welfare issues
Ceres Tag
Solar-powered GPS tag for cattle (ear tag) and sheep (collar). Provides up to 3 years of satellite connectivity without recharging. Requires integration with a software partner platform for data visualization and insights. Commonly deployed on 10–20% of the herd to monitor representative behaviour and movement patterns.
Estimated Cost
~AUD 300 – 400 per tag
Remote sensing
- Tracks pasture availability and condition using aerial or sensor data
- Supports informed paddock rotation and stocking decisions
- Monitors pasture base across large operations
CIBO Labs’ PastureKey
• World-leading satellite remote sensing and data science with on-farm knowledge to estimate feed supply for every hectare.
• Monitors changes in the feedbase and land condition every week.
Estimated Cost
AUD 1,100 / year (for < 1,000 ha)
Grazing management
- Records and analyses grazing activities to optimise paddock use
- Helps align stocking pressure with pasture growth
- Improves consistency of grazing plans across the farm
Ag360
Farm management platform that helps graziers forecast pasture growth, rainfall, animal performance, and feed availability.
Now includes a mobile app for paddock use, offline access, and “what-if” planning tools for weather and production risks.
Free to use in Australia and supported by regional drought and innovation hubs.
Estimated Cost
Free
MAIA Grazing
Cloud-based platform with mobile app for planning rotational grazing, tracking pasture use, and recording livestock moves.
• Works offline in the paddock and syncs later.
• Now integrated with carbon project tools via Atlas Carbon to support ACCU compliance and soil health planning.
Estimated Cost
Pro plan → ~ AUD 30-35 / week