Pastures represent a very valuable resource for producers. In order to become an efficient cattle producer you must maximize your pasture’s forage output. But are you getting every bit out of it that you can?
In most cases people do this by continuously graze their pasture believing that they are getting every “ounce” out of it they can. However heavy continuous grazing reduces forage production over time. As forage production goes down that opens the door for invasive weeds to take over. When this happens the nutritional content that your animals are eating goes down.
A good forage production plan is important for not only the health of the land in your care but also the health of your business. Rotational grazing is a management tool that may be able to help.
What is rotational grazing?
To put it in simple terms rotational grazing is just rotating your animals to different pastures. When you do this it allows the pasture to “rest” and encourages the grass to grow back.
All that is required to do this is take a larger pasture and make it into smaller sections, or paddocks. This can usually be accomplished without having to reduce your herd size.
Now while this may not be a cure all it could be a valuable management tool for you.
Why rotational grazing?
As I mentioned above it allows the forages in your pasture a chance to regrow. When they are given a chance to regrow they can rebuild their vigor and deepen their root system. Having a deeper root system will make them better able to handle drought conditions (which we all know will occur again at some point).
When you continuously graze a pasture this is not allowed to happen. The animals will eat down the most nutritious grasses till there is nothing left. Not only will their nutritional value decrease but they will be less able to handle stressful situations like less rainfall.
According to a publication from the NRCS cows that are in a rotational grazing system average $200 more per cow that ones that aren’t.
How do I start rotational grazing?
The first thing that you should do is to look at your pastures overall. One good way to do this is to have either an aerial or satellite photo of your place. Having this will allow you to see the overall terrain and where you can cross fence in order to make smaller paddocks.
You will want to make sure that your smaller pastures are about even in size. The number of paddocks that you can use is entirely up to you. As long as it is more than two you are good to go. There was a study performed in the Edwards Plateau of Texas that stated that the maximum number that you would need is around 7 or 8. Anything more than that would require more work than it is worth.
Water
Unless you will be using a wheel spoke method (which I will talk about later) make sure that there is a water source available in each of the paddocks that you will have. This can be either a natural source such as a creek or a stock tank or just a water trough. When you are planning out make sure that the capacity of water that will be available can handle if all the cows decided to get a drink at the same time.
Fencing
One investment to consider when designing your system is the fencing. You can use like a temporary electric fencing or you can pay for more permanent type such as field fence or barbed wire. Each type has it’s pros and cons so you should choose the one that works best for you. The more permanent type will have a larger initial investment but it will be more sturdy over time. Electric fence may not hold up as well but it will allow you to make any adjustments if you notice certain pastures are not getting as grazed as much
If you would like to know more about how to improve grazing distribution you can click here.
Grazing Schedule
Now when you are coming up with the schedule for when you will be moving your animals do not use a strict date calendar but instead let the forages decide. Grasses should be about 6 to 8 inches in height before you move the cows onto it. Once they are about half that length (about 3 inches) then it is time to move them to a different pasture.
Types of rotational grazing systems
The Merrill system
This system was developed by Dr. Leo Merrill at the Texas Agriculture Experiment station near Sonora. This system comprises of 4 separate pastures with 3 herds grazing. Each pasture will be grazed for 12 months then not for 4 months making a 16 month grazing cycle.
All four pastures should be equal in size and carrying capacity. This is important because overgrazing will be very detrimental to the forages and cause the system to fail.
South African Switchback system
This system was designed as the name implies in South Africa. It uses just two pastures and the animals are switched back and forth between them. Now this system is generally good to use though the results may not be as good as the 4 pasture Merrill system.
The two pastures should be nearly equal in their carrying capacity so as not to allow any overgrazing. The total capacity of both is then combined into just one herd.
Wheel spoke system
As the name implies the set up of your pastures will look like the spokes on a wheel spreading out from a central location. The center of your pasture will consist of a central water source and the working facility. This system can reduce the stress of livestock handling as well as the need for developing a water source in each paddock.
In this system each pasture is grazed from 1 to 145 days (though generally it’s never more than 5 to 7). Each pasture is then allowed to rest from 30 to 90 days.
These are just 3 examples of a rotational grazing system, if you would like to learn about more types you can click here.
In Conclusion
Now the thing to keep in mind is that rotational grazing will not be the “cure-all” for your operation but it is a useful management tool. You should evaluate your goals, interests, and the economics involved to make the best decision on if it will work for you or not.
Now while this will not vastly improve the forages in your pasture overnight it can be a step in the right direction for improving it. Using the correct stocking rate is critical in any decision that you make involving the forages. If you are not sure what the stocking rate is for your area your local county extension office would be able to give you that information.
What are your thoughts on rotational grazing? Have you had any success with it? Please let me know in the comment section down below.
