Forage and Grazing Opportunities

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Grazing Basics
Central Wisconsin Grazing Meetings March 2008
Craig Saxe UW-Extension, Juneau Co. 211 Hickory
Street Mauston WI 53948 [phone] craig.saxe_at_
ces.uwex.edu
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Well be covering

• What is rotational grazing
• Why use rotational grazing
• Understanding plant growth
• Setting up a grazing system
• Fencing, watering and frost seeding
• Grazing tips

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What is Rotational Grazing?
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• Farming is all about capturing the suns energy
  and converting it to usable products.

L. Paine, 2005
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• If we start by maximizing the amount of energy we
  capture, all other steps in the process have
  greater potential to yield profits.

L. Paine, 2005
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Number of Days of Bare Soil
L. Paine, 2005
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Many Pastures are Continuously Grazed

• This usually means
• Lower yields due to selective grazing
• Greater weed problems
• Potential for erosion problems in certain areas
• No management or poor management of forage
  resource

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Rotational Grazing

• Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas
  (paddocks)
• A portion of the pasture is grazed while the
  remainder rests

Lane

• Rest allows pasture to
• Recover from grazing,
• Rebuild energy reserves plant vigor
• Increase forage production

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Management Intensive Rotational Grazing
Management Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIRG)
involves even greater numbers of paddocks and/or
subdivision within paddocks to increase amount of
rest and decrease days grazing each rotation
Corral
Lane
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Strip Grazing
Lane
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Strip Grazing
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Which grazing system is right for me?

• CONSIDERATIONS
• Whats best for the grass
• Whats best for the livestock
• What moves you toward your goals!!!

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Why use Rotational Grazing?
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http//www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/teamforage/index.htm
l
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http//www.uwex.edu/ces/cwas/