. A lactating cow has a much higher demand than a dry cow. There are many approaches and types of grazing that fall under the broad umbrella of rotational grazing. The growth rate is very fast for a while, then slows to nothing, so it’s hard to keep everything in Phase 2 in a continuously grazed pasture. That doesn’t include the benefits of stockpiling grass in the field for fall or winter grazing. So now that we have a basic understanding of rotational grazing, how do we start? A gentle herd first begins in the “wintering lot” where cattle are “bucket broke.” The Pembertons buy 450- to 600-pound black Angus heifers from private treaties. Properly managed livestock grazing helps to reduce fire hazards by controlling the amount and distribution of grasses and other potential fuel. There isn’t much flexibility on turnout and move dates; timing is set on a calendar. Rotational grazing also allows for an even distribution of manure and organic matter being placed back onto the land. Benefits of grazing Cost The biggest cost in most, if not all, cattle production systems is feed. Plants are grazed in their vegetative state for relatively short periods, compared with continuous grazing, which reduces the tendency for preferred species to be grazed out. “You need to be able to vary stocking rate seasonally,” says Gerrish. Grazing management for cattle attempts to maintain high quality, high volume, somewhat uniform grass production to optimize animal performance and production. John Hall, superintendent of the University of Idaho’s Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center near Salmon, says rotational grazing is always a very positive tool for stock producers, especially on irrigated ground. Uniform consumption of forage Being in a smaller area means nearly all of the forage gets attention, leaving a uniformly grazed pasture area when the cattle move on. Because goats eat things like woody brush, forbs, and problem weeds, they can take care of those plants while your cattle will prefer to graze legumes and common grasses. There are many benefits to this strategy as rotational grazing allows producers to utilize their pastures more efficiently by decreasing feed costs, decreasing weed pressure present in a pasture setting, improving the health and performance of grazing flocks, and contributing to the sustainability of the grazing land. So, ride or walk your pastures to learn what they are telling you. Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email. Another benefit of rotational grazing is that cattle become gentler with regular human contact during moves to fresh paddocks. The Benefits of Rotational Grazing Hart Dairy / 2 days ago / Animal welfare , Grass , Regenerative Farming , Sustainability , Cows , Rotational Grazing At Hart Dairy, we know that in order to produce the best feed from our pastures, we must manage those pastures in a more sustainable way. Marginal land Not all land can grow row crops. For example, in a continuous grazing scenario, organic matter distribution may be sporadic as higher levels of organic matter would be found in areas of shade or a water source as animals may have a preference for these types of environments. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Electric netting allows our shepherds to quickly subdivide pastures. Some stock producers find best results by moving cattle daily or even several times a day. Rotational Grazing Benefits: South Dakota Producer Perceptions. Rotational grazing can result in a decrease in feed costs as grazing livestock will be harvesting their own feed, which in turn will decrease the cost of labor and time in harvesting and feeding stored forages. Cattle producers target grasses and attempt to eliminate bare ground and reduce forbs and brush in favor of homogenous, grass-dominated pastures. Their land is a mixture of mid-tall grass prairie, former cropland and abandoned cattle feedlots. Elevation, climate, types of plants, terrain, whether it’s irrigated or dryland, etc., will all be factors. The main benefits of rotational grazing stem from a focus on plant growth phase. Livestock grazing is conducted under a license system based upon accepted principles of range management. As a result, the cool season forages will slow in growth and in turn will require a longer period of time needed for adequate regrowth to occur prior to the next grazing event. However, an important thought to consider is if your sheep are grazing a specific plant, is it considered a weed? Good grazing practices are often thought of as rotational grazing, but this is at best a half-truth. “You can also put up permanent single-strand, high-tensile fence 2 feet tall that you don’t have to move, says Gerrish. As we approach fall like temperatures, forage growth patterns will begin to change. Rotational grazing can help extend the grazing season, allowing a producer to rely less on stored feed and supplement. 4. This method of grazing has low input costs, low labor requirements, and allows for livestock to choose what plants they wish to consume. Cornstalk grazing: What supplementation is needed? If you do a good job of irrigating and stocking, always keeping grass at 5 to 8 inches in height [always in Phase 2], continuous grazing can work, especially in climates that are very stable, Gerrish says. “But the problems we generally have, especially in the West, are temperature extremes — and we can’t always get grass watered when it needs it. One obvious benefit to this management scheme that was previously mentioned above is a decrease in total feeding costs. You run into situations each year that you haven’t encountered before, as well as learn from your mistakes. If it turns dry, what should we do differently than if we had a better year?” asks Hall. Remove cattle from cornstalks when soils begin to thaw, Cover crops offer potential grazing benefit for cattle operations. Rotational grazing is the practice of moving grazing livestock between pastures (often called paddocks) as needed or on a regular basis. Cattle prefer grass in Phase 1 because it’s tender, succulent and high in nutritional quality. Cattle producers can reap financial benefits, as well as lowering their carbon footprint, by using the adaptive multi-paddock rotational grazing method. It takes a while to get enough leaf area to capture adequate solar energy for rapid growth,” he says. This is something each individual producer must determine, regarding available labor,” says Hall. – Matt Blose, Marissa Friel, Courtney Hale, Maureen Hirzel, OSU Animal Science Undergraduate Students, and Brady Campbell, Program Coordinator, OSU Sheep Team. Learning how to adjust the grazing and recovery periods is an art. “We still have a lot to learn about how best to use these grasses, especially on rangeland. “A person can often get by moving cow-calf pairs just once a week, however. In its simplest form, rotational grazing is described as moving grazing livestock from one paddock to another, allowing time for the previously grazed pasture to regrow prior to the next grazing event. Your local Extension or Natural Resources Conservation Service folks can provide advice on establishing and maintaining pastures, but how you manage them will determine the ongoing health and quality of those pastures. Using Google Earth would be a simple way to easily plot your paddocks of interest. The Pembertons see several benefits of rotational grazing, such as pasture rest, time for regrowth and soil conservation. One consideration that may be of great benefit to you and your operation is to obtain some aerial images of your land to determine where you can make your pastures and how they will be split. For many who use rotational grazing, planned frequent movements of livestock on pasture, the goal is to use livestock as a tool to improve the soil and the forage diversity of the farms they manage. Neither text, nor links to other websites, is reviewed or endorsed by The Ohio State University. It’s most common in pastures that are continuously grazed, without rotation — but it can also happen in a rotation program if you leave cattle in a paddock too long, or if your recovery period is too short. Rotational grazing has many benefits – all leading to higher profits on your land: Increased soil fertility ... underpins our range of world-leading livestock feeding solutions. The content of this site is published by the site owner(s) and is not a statement of advice, opinion, or information pertaining to The Ohio State University. Collecting soil samples on an annual basis would also be beneficial, especially when considering to plant or inter-seed new forages into your pastures. Cattle will generally do most of their grazing within 800 feet of a water source. Designing and spacing watering tanks can keep grazing animals away from stream and increase grazing utilization of the pasture. Salt placement was traditionally used to distribute cattle where we want them, but we also use water and supplement tubs as management tools,” Hall says. One of the most desirable attributes of this system is that a producer can design it to fit their needs. There are many benefits to this strategy as rotational grazing allows producers to utilize their pastures more efficiently by decreasing feed costs, decreasing weed pressure present in a pasture setting, improving the health and performance of grazing flocks, and contributing to the sustainability of the grazing land. Rotational grazing allows a producer to be more in control of the timing and intensity of forage grazed by cattle. How many cattle can a rotational system accommodate? There are many benefits to this strategy as rotational grazing allows producers to utilize their pastures more efficiently by decreasing feed costs, decreasing weed pressure present in a pasture setting, improving the health and performance of grazing flocks, and contributing to the sustainability of the grazing land. The Wildland Vegetation program incorporates due consideration for the forage needs of deer and other wildlife, erosion control, and a desire for protection of sensitive environments. Will you be investing in a water line or will you be hauling water to your flock? “At that point, growth rate slows dramatically and the plant goes into Phase 3, which is when we would cut it for hay; it’s as big as it’s going to get,” explains Gerrish. Editor’s note: In talking with longtime BEEF readers, a top concern is helping people new to the business understand the art as well as the science of raising cattle. 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