Rotational Grazing

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Rotational Grazing

• Georgia Department of Education
• May 2007

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Rotational vs. Continuous

• Rotational-The use of several different pastures
  with one being grazed while the others are
  rested.
• Continuous- use of one pasture full-time without
  rest

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Benefits of Rotational Grazing

• Reduce cost of machinery, fuel and facilities
• Reduce supplemental feeding and pasture waste
• Improve monthly distribution and pasture yield
• Improve animal waste distribution and use
• Improve pasture composition
• Minimize daily fluctuations in intake and quality
  feed
• Allocate pasture to animals more efficiently,
  based on nutritional needs

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Principles of Rotational Grazing

• Nutritional needs of livestock can be met
  efficiently
• Forage yield, quality and pasture persistence can
  be optimized
• Economic profit can be realized though efficiency
  and productivity

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Nutritional needs of livestock can be met
efficiently

• The forage manager will allow only the top 50 of
  the available forage to be harvested by the
  animal.
• Young, tender top growth has a higher nutritional
  value than the bottom half of the plant.
• The forage manager can provide suitable forages
  and manage undesirable plants better.

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Forage yield, quality and pasture persistence can
be optimized

• Yield will be increased as the forage manager
  will remove animals when half of the plant has
  been removed. The rest time allows the plant to
  double production vs. continuous grazing.
• Quality is increased by only utilizing the top
  half of the plant. The crude protein of legumes
  is twice as high in the top 6 than the bottom
  6.
• Persistence of plants will increase due to rest
  times and height requirements

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Economic profit can be realized though efficiency
and productivity

• In Georgia, cattle have shown a 44 gain per acre
  on a rotational grazing system vs. a conventional
  continuous grazing system.
• UGA test show a 29 reduction in the amount of
  hay needed.

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Rotational Grazing Concerns

• Stocking Rate
• Cell/Paddock Design
• Water

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Stocking Rate

• How much forage will your animals consume?
• How much forage do you have available?

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Animal Unit Month

• The approximate amount of forage a 1000 pound cow
  with a calf will eat in a month.
• Most commonly used way to determine the carrying
  capacity of pasture.
• Example 1000 lbs x .02667 26.67 lbs of forage
  per day.
• 26.67 x 30 days 800 lbs per month

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Animal Unit Equivalent

• Used to determine the metabolic rate for the
  animals in the pasture.
• If a producer had 1 year old heifers, the number
  of animals per acre would be increased because of
  the lower metabolic rate.
• Conversely, if a producer had 1400 pound herd
  average, the number of animals per acre would be
  decreased.

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Commonly used Animal Unit Equivalents
USDA NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook
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Adjusted Animal Unit Equivalents for Heavier
Cattle
USDA NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook
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Average Animal Weight

• Average Animal Weight (AAW)
• Uses daily metabolic requirement of 2.67 of body
  weight per day.
• 1000 pound herd average weight x 2.67 feed
  consumed 26.67 lbs feed needed per day.

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Available Forage

• Using a 1 x 1 square, clip the available forage
  from a random sample area. Dry forage using a
  microwave. Weigh the dry forage and use the
  Conversion Factor Grams collected X 100 pounds
  forage per acre.
• Example 120 grams x 100 1200 pounds/acre
• Using the take half leave half rule, the pounds
  would be decreased to 600 pounds per acre
  available

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Monthly Forage Requirement

• Monthly Forage Requirement Average animal Size x
  0.02667 x 30 days per month
• -Example
• 1200 lbs x.5 x 50 acres 30,000 lbs available
  forage
• Average animal- 1000 lbs x .026726.67 lbs
• 26.67 x 30 days 800 lbs/monthly forage
  requirement per animal

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Stocking Rate

• Stocking Rate Available Forage
• Monthly Forage Requirement
• Example 1200 lbs forage per acre x .5 x 50
  acres 30,000 lbs Available Forage
• 800 lbs Monthly Forage Requirement
• Stocking Rate 30,000
• 800
• Stocking Rate 37.5 animals per month
• Or
• .75 animal units per acre

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Cell/Paddock Design

• A whole farm plan should be designed first to
  insure efficient use of materials
• Mix of cool and warm season grasses
• Use both permanent and temporary fencing
• Design watering and feeding areas around the
  center of the padocks
• Use available forages first, then try new
  varieties
• Make sure you have shaded areas in each paddock

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Pasture Number and Size

• Start with 5 to 10 paddocks. This will allow a
  paddock to be grazed in 3 to 7 days and rested
  for 25-30 days.
• Paddock number can be determined by the amount of
  available forage, days rest, labor available for
  moving animals and design of system
• A new system should be designed so that
  additional fences can be included if needed.

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Water Requirements

• Needs to be adequate in quantity and quality
• Water needs increase with temperature, relative
  humidity, animal size and moisture in diet.
• Location can determine grazing patterns-
  overgrazing and undergrazing

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Water Requirements for Grazing Animals
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Sources of Water

• Ponds,Springs,Streams- need to use heavy use area
  type entrance
• Wells- private or city water
• Pumps-ram, sling or pasture pump
• Hauling Water

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Water Location

• Keep watering areas within 600-800 feet of all
  grazing area.

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Conclusions

• Rotational grazing can be designed for any farm,
  any size
• Cattle producers who place forage production
  first, will be more profitable
• Forage managers will require fewer inputs of
  purchased feed, hay and other supplements.
• Higher animal units can be carried on smaller
  acreages.

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Bibliography

• Rotational Grazing- http//www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs
  /id/id143/id143.htm
• Determining Your Stocking Rate-
  http//extension.usu.edu/files/publications/public
  ation/NR_RM_04.pdf
• Getting Started Grazing- http//ohioline.osu.edu/g
  sg/gsg_6.html