Pastures and Forages Test 4

Grazing Systems

The manner that animals are stocked or have access to pastures during a grazing season

Permanent Fencing Type

• less management

• greater initial cost

• reduced grazing flexibility

Temporary Fencing

• Greater management

• less costly

• greater grazing flexibility

• can be used in addition with permanent fencing

Water/feed placement

• centrally located

• used to distribute livestock acros pastures

• travel distance consideration

• cattle 1 mi

• sheep/goats 2 mi

Grasses

• Cattle: 70%

• Sheep:25%

• Goats:10%

Forbs

• Cattle:10%

• Sheep:50%

• Goats:20%

Browse

• Cattle:20%

• Sheep:25%

• Goat: 70%

Fencing

• Topography dependant

• acreage available

• dimensional equal sizes preferred.

Continuous Grazing

Unlimited & uninterupted grazing of a pasture by livestock.

Rotational Grazing

Grazing &resting 2 pastures in a planned sequence.Never graze the same psture at the same time of year two consecutive years.

Avantages of Rotational Grazing

• permits forage development

• improves forage production

• increases carrying capacity

• improves grazing utilization

• enhances forage utilization

• helps control surplus forage

• increases water infiltration

Disadvantages of Rotaional Grazing

• higher input of caputal and management

• approximately same size pastures required

• can be detrimental if stocked inappropriately.

Deferred Rotational Grazing

-2 pasture-1 herd (switch back)

-3 pasture-2 herd

-4 pasture- 3 herd (Merill system)

Short Duration Grazing System

-5 pastures-1 herd

• Conventional system. regular in shape.

• cell or wagon wheel. Centered around a water source.

Extensive Grazing

• greater that 14 days grazed

• greater than 90 days rested

Intensive grazing

• less than 14 days grazed

• 30 - 90 days rested

Goal of Grazing Systems

achieve a livestock distribution that positively affects pasture utilization and plant diversity.

Improved forage

known

Native forage

must id. different forage value.

Stocking rate

based on forage quantity and quality

Advantages of Continuous Grazing

• lower cost

• fewer management decisions

• animal numbers constant

Disadvantages of Continuous Grazing

• lighter stocking rates

• selective grazing

• compaction of soil

• manure build up

• fewer management decisions

1st and 2nd grazer

• 5 + pastures

• different nutrient requirements

• 2 classes/species of livesock

  • wet/dry cows

  • goats and cattle

Intensive Early Season Grazing

• Heavy stocking rates during growing season

• 2x-3x

• used best with stocker operations

Advantages of Intensive Early Season grazing

• increaed forage utilization

• increased stocking rates

Disadvantages of intensice early season grazing

• must have herd flexibility

Strip/Mob Grazing

Livestock allowed a small portion of a pasture at a time moved frequently

Advantages of Strip/Mob grazing

• increased forage utilization

• increased meat and milk production

• increased stocking rates

Disadvantages of strip/mob grazing

• increase of capital and management

• must have herd size and flexibility

Decisional Rotational Grazing

Rotating one herd through several pastures based on visual forage appraisal

• most widely used of rotational systems