Mob grazing/pasture rotation ?

[plbcattle]

I have been reading about this mob grazing theory. My ? is how do you have time to move cattle 3-4 times a day. Whats the benifit of this vs just rotating pastures. If you move them into 3-5 acre pastures for a couple days, why is this mob grazing better. I still cant say I completly understand the theory of rotational grazing, but this mob grazing seems to be more work than helpful to me. If you have 50 acres, 50 cows doesnt it stand to reason that they will eat the same ammt of grass whether they eat it in different intervals or just leave them out in the whole pasture to eat it at there leasure. They still will only eat so much per day, Someone help me with this. Whats the big benifits behind rotational grazing and mob grazing

 

[1982vett]

Rough basics and a simple analogy.

Take a child and give him the choice of desert, vegetables, and say hotdogs. I would bet that he would eat the desert and if still hungry the hot dog. Give him vegetables and hotdogs and he will probably eat the hotdog and some vegetables. If you watch cattle, they do much the same. They will seek out the tender growth and more palatable grasses leaving the less desirable and unpalatable. Limiting the cattle to fewer acres will force them to eat all of the forages instead of just some. Byproduct of which is a more even distrbution of animal waste (fertilizer). Mind you the cows, much like the child, might object at first and let it be known they are not happy but when real hunger sets in they will chow down.

Now I hope someone will give and intelligent explaination.

 

[MrBilly]

Rough basics and a simple analogy.

Take a child and give him the choice of desert, vegetables, and say hotdogs. I would bet that he would eat the desert and if still hungry the hot dog. Give him vegetables and hotdogs and he will probably eat the hotdog and some vegetables. If you watch cattle, they do much the same. They will seek out the tender growth and more palatable grasses leaving the less desirable and unpalatable. Limiting the cattle to fewer acres will force them to eat all of the forages instead of just some. Byproduct of which is a more even distrbution of animal waste (fertilizer). Mind you the cows, much like the child, might object at first and let it be known they are not happy but when real hunger sets in they will chow down.

Now I hope someone will give and intelligent explaination.

Now that sounds downright fine and very clear professor!

Billy

 

[bigbull338]

its very simple.if you give 50 cows free regn over 50acs they will only eat their fav grasses.thus leaving the others.an not cleaning up all the grass there is for grazing.control grazing allows an makes them eat everything in the paddock.a 50ac pasture is grazing for 50 cows for 50 days.an you can bale your excess grass.as for time you can move the cows to a new paddock in the evenings.thus moving them once a day.

 

[mack]

Very well stated!!!

here is a good link:

http://www.hrm-texas.org/mob_grazing_event.htm