PLANNING A MANAGED ROTATIONAL GRAZING SYSTEM Howard Moechnig Grazing Lands Conservationist NRCS

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PLANNING A MANAGED ROTATIONAL GRAZING
SYSTEMHoward MoechnigGrazing Lands
ConservationistNRCS

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PURPOSE

• Identify benefits of Prescribed Grazing Systems
• Identify components of a Prescribed Grazing Plan
• Review Managed Rotational Grazing Systems
  Inventory Worksheet
• Review other inventory worksheets

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PURPOSE

• Discuss types of grazing systems
• Determine number of paddocks and size of paddocks
• Discuss facilitating practices
• Fence
• Livestock Watering Systems
• Heavy Use Area Protection

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BENEFITS OF PRESCRIBED GRAZING

• Improved forage production
• Improved rainfall infiltration
• Reduced runoff
• Improved water yield
• Improved soil health
• Reduced soil erosion
• Diverse wildlife habitat
• Carbon sequesteration

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BENEFITS OF PRESCRIBED GRAZING

• Reduced costs of production
• Reduced fuel use
• Reduced machinery use
• Reduced fertilizer and pesticide use
• Reduced labor
• Minimize feedlot issues

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COMPONENTS OF A GRAZING PLAN

• Sensitive Areas
• Livestock Summary
• Fence System
• Livestock Water System
• Heavy Use Area Protection
• Forages
• Grazing System Management
• Cost Estimates

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Map Sensitive Areas
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MATCHING LIVESTOCK NUMBERS TO FORAGE QUANTITY

• Season long and monthly estimates
• Overall ECS-001
• Monthly Livestock Forage Monthly Balance
  Sheet

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Determine Grassland Condition and Trend

• Determining Grassland Condition and Trend
• Pasture Condition Scoresheet

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PADDOCK DESIGN AND LAYOUT

• BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• What kind of livestock performance do I want?
• How long is the rest period for forages?
• How long should the grazing period be?
• How many pounds of forage per acre?
• What is my total herd weight?
• What is the forage utilization rate?

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FORAGES

• Match forage to kind and class of livestock
• Match new forages to the site conditions
• Best to use what is growing on the site, if of a
  suitable species
• Add to them if necessary

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HOW MANY PADDOCKS DO I NEED?

• The minimum number of paddocks for each herd is
• Rest period (in days) 1
• Grazing period (in days)

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HOW MANY ACRES IN EACH PADDOCK?

• CONSUMPTION
• Daily herd requirement is the total herd weight x
  .04
• Multiply this by the grazing period to obtain the
  grazing period forage allocation

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HOW MANY ACRES IN EACH PADDOCK?

• PRODUCTION
• Height of forage (in inches) minus residual
  stubble height (in inches) is the height of
  forage available for grazing
• This times the pounds of forage per inch per acre
  will provide the pounds per acre of forage
  available for the livestock

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HOW MANY ACRES IN EACH PADDOCK?

• Divide the amount of forage required for the
  livestock by the amount of forage available per
  acre to arrive at the acres in each paddock.

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Lay Out Paddocks
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Set Up Lanes
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INSTALL FENCES

• Consider kind and class of livestock
• Consider perimeter vs. interior
• Consider cost of installation
• Consider cost of maintenance

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PLAN WATER SYSTEM

• Essential to make the grazing system function
  properly
• 15 gallons per 1000 pounds of herd weight per
  day.
• Most common system uses pipeline hooked to
  farmstead system.

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FORAGE MANAGEMENT

• System will be ineffective if forages are not
  managed properly
• Expense of fence and watering system will not
  provide return if forages are not managed well

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IMPORTANT NOTES

• Residual stubble heights are very important.
  They are a significant measure of success.
• Lack of trailing and lack of erosion are other
  important measures.
• Savory cell, pie shaped systems are not to be
  used except in rare instances.

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• Answer these questionsHow many head will my
  pasture support?How much pasture will my herd
  require?

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HOW MANY HEAD WILL MY PASTURE SUPPORT?acres
(x) forage yield (x) grazing efficiencyintake
rate (x) ind. animal wt.(x) days to graze
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HOW MANY ACRES ARE REQUIRED FOR MY HERD?herd
weight (x) intake rate (x) days to grazeforage
yield (x) grazing efficiency
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MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION OF FORAGES vs. LIVESTOCK
REQUIREMENTSLivestock Forage Monthly Balance
Sheet