Table 3 provides some suggested paddock sizes (acres per AU) for rotational grazing. With more paddocks, each paddock would get a longer rest period. This is the available cover per hectare multiplied by the paddock size. This pasture can be grazed down to about four inches, at which point owners should move horses to another area. So if you had six paddocks and each paddock size was 2.25ha (5.6 acres), the total available cover per paddock would be (1,500gm DM/ha x 2.25) 3,375kg DM. From: Pasture Management Guide for Livestock Producers, Iowa State University Extension. There is little use in growing more grass if you are already understocked. And he says reseeding is not a job for year one because until you have assessed the balance between grass growth and stocking rate, it is pointless. Rotational grazing (also known as management-intensive grazing, MIG) differs from continuous grazing in that land is separated into smaller paddocks and the group of animals is moved regularly between paddocks. Most horse farms practice continuous grazing, in which pastures are occupied by horses daily. Shrinking the size of the paddock increases the efficiency. I got the hoop size and formula from NRCS a number of years ago. Equally important is the amount of grass left behind, which is called the residual. There are many approaches and types of grazing that fall under the broad umbrella of rotational grazing. This is often the edges, or the area nearest their shelter, or the new growth, etc. Dave. Rotational grazing involves using small fields sizes, (or paddocks) to move stock frequently to provide a rest for the grass and reduce wastage. She has been researching and working with livestock as a land management tool for over a decade. If grass growth is poor and covers are not building quick enough, some supplementation with forage or concentrate may be required or extra paddocks need to be introduced to extend the length of the rotation. Combined demand = 720 + 120 = 840kg DM/day, This is the opening cover minus the target residual cover. throughout the grazing season. 6.3 Implement rotational grazing. hoop (yes I know its a round hoop but the area is the same ). ft. – 10 cf. Rotational burning to minimise patch grazing. However, 24 days is a good starting point because in many areas any longer than that and quality would start to deteriorate. In cover terms, this should be around 1,500 DM/ha, which is 4cm in height and roughly the height of a golf ball. Continuous Grazing: Single pasture system and no rotation of livestock. If you are going to do that, I would build a small portable shelter you can drag from paddock to paddock or simple shelters for each paddock. And it can work with various different numbers of paddocks: Four days is the maximum grazing duration wanted because of the all-important rest period in between grazing. The reason for the “50” is a little more involved than that. The desired period for rest and regrowth varies for different times of the year and under different conditions. There are many different grazing methods used to improve productivity, maintain desirable pasture species and reduce land degradation. If a calf requires 2.65kg of dry matter a day and it is given 1kg of dry matter in creep feed, then its grass demand falls to 1.65kg of DM/day. There are no really hard-and-fast rules, but some generalization is possible. Rotational grazing. Fence line would measure 40’x40’ for 1,600 square feet of grazing per paddock or 6,400 square feet for the whole system. That hoop he is using appears to be a 1.92sq.ft. The time it takes for horses to graze down … “Ultimately all you are trying to do is match your stocking rate to your grass growth,” says Gareth Davies of Gareth’s Grassland Advisory Service. These tips from NCAT’s Dave Scott will help you get going. Rotationally grazing your pasture should also allow appropriate rest periods. If your grass will not grow to Guinness can height, you can adjust the opening cover number to get an idea for your farm. If a herd is turned into a paddock when the pasture is 7 inches tall and taken off when the pasture is 4 inches tall, approximately 900 to 1000 pounds of pasture are available. Available cover per paddock divided by demand – 3,375/840 = 4.0. If reseeding is required, it can provide a very good return on investment. Go for a small- or medium-leafed white clover for persistence. Knowing how quick grass is growing can give confidence to close paddocks for silaging and help to refine rotation plans in future years. Each paddock must provide all the needs of the livestock, such as food, water and sometimes shade and shelter. Naturally the size (sq.ft.) Only go for early for silage ground, Keep heading dates as close together as possible, The heavier the soil, the higher the rate of diploid should be used. A plan is key so that the first paddocks/fields shut can be the first grazed. Grazing Calculator is the brainchild of a dairy farmer, who wanted a fast and easy way for him and his workers to be able to do grazing related calculations. And it may be possible to plant a poorer paddock with a crop like turnips or kale for the winter and then reseed in spring, maximising the use of the area. Conversely, if grass growth is rapid then it may mean taking paddocks out for one rotation or more. compaction) have not been fully investigated then return on investment could be severely reduced. Yet … Rotational grazing involves the frequent movement of groups of stock through a series of paddocks and allows small landholders to decide when and for how long a pasture will be grazed and rested. The important factor is that the pastures are not “rested,” or left empty, for more than a portion of the day or night. For example, on a six-paddock system, if grass is growing rapidly and by the time you are grazing paddock number four, paddock one is back at optimum cover (Guinness can), then leave paddocks five and six and restart the rotation at paddock 1. To calculate paddock size, multiply the suggested acres per AU by the AU in the herd. This can be measured with a plate metre or sward stick, but for simplicity, can also be talked about in terms of the height of the grass. Jonathon Rohrbach (right) implemented a change-up in his rotational grazing plans on his Edmonds County, South Dakota, ranch and made a few happy discoveries in the process. You don’t need to pull out and pound in the ground rod with each move. There are lots of complicating factors and areas to get more in-depth, but to keep it simple, there are six steps to think about first: Mr Davies shared his top tips on getting going: Planning a rotation (route) for your stock will depend on various factors – how many cows you have and their size, influencing demand, how many bulling groups you run and your farm type. In agriculture, rotational grazing, as opposed to continuous grazing, describes many systems of pasturing, whereby livestock are moved to portions of the pasture, called paddocks, while the other portions rest. rotational grazing for parasite control only works if they don't go back to the barn, either, for 30+ days. While gaining in popularity, this method of livestock management is very uncommon. When she's not helping farmers, ranchers and land managers on-site, she writes articles, and books, and edits videos to help others turn their livestock into landscape managers. These six paddocks could each be split in half to create a rotation of 12 paddocks, each grazed for two days. By Joel Salatin The difficult thing in the first year is that you won’t have shut up fields or paddocks in a set order as would happen in a rotational grazing system. Kathy worked with the Bureau of Land Management for 12 years before founding Livestock for Landscapes in 2004. The numbers for this come from Step 5 and Step 3. Hi, Jenna. And if you have 12 paddocks, each one will be grazed for two days. When he split up three basic pastures that comprised the 2,000-acre spread into 18 grazing paddocks, he was able to increase his herd size from 175 pairs of cows and calves to 240. When you know how much grass your farm grows, you can more-closely match the overall stocking rate to it. 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