Pasture Rotation

[midTN_Brangusman]

My cattle pasture is fenced in halves, water source on each side, I rotate them from side to side every couple weeks. How often do you cattlemen and women rotate your cattle? Not sure if I should leave longer or rotate weekly. Thanks for your time!

 

[M-5]

its according to grass quality and quantity. I have been shrinking my fields some and moving them once a week they always enjoy a new pasture and even if they go back to where they were last week they think its new ground

 

[cowgirl8]

Each of our herds have a 3 pasture rotation. On years where everything works out, i dont move them until it rains. We on average get rain weekly, but not every year. I do though hold them back until it does rain if its forecast as long as i feel the grass will hold out. So that alters how long they stay in each field sometimes. They do stay as long as i feel they've grazed enough. I just like to move them on a wet note. How do i know when to move grazing wise....i have no idea how to explain. Every place is different, so it would be hard to say this place is the same as that place. I do know that if you just continue to graze open and dont rotate, you ruin your land where i live.
Our cows have been doing this system for many years and with 3 pastures, they know which one they came out of and will not go back. They have to go to the next according to them. I've tried to move them out of sequence, but they stand at the gate and shake their heads. I've even left the gate open and the never go back.

 

[littletom]

I am not saying this is correct but what I do. We have one group of 30 that I rotate. The others groups are not rotate except 15 heifers I am putting on a grass hay field in oct. So those 30 are on 60 acres cut in half. They spend winter and spring in front. I cut the back for hay, let it grow couple weeks put pairs on it late june. Leave about 45 days, back to front couple weeks ago. Early next month when I finish tobacco harvest we will wean. Give them a week or so to settle down. Then go back to the back that is now growing. Last year this group made it till Christmas eve with out hay. And I made several rolls of hay off that back 30 acres. The whole 60 acres is fertilized only once in spring and ph is correct. This has worked well.

 

[Banjo]

My cattle pasture is fenced in halves, water source on each side, I rotate them from side to side every couple weeks. How often do you cattlemen and women rotate your cattle? Not sure if I should leave longer or rotate weekly. Thanks for your time![

I recommend dividing your farm into at least 6 to 8 paddocks and leaving your cows in each one no more than a week. That would give you 42 to 57 days recovery for each paddock. You are going to have overgrazing occur when cattle are left in a field for two or three weeks or longer.

 

[Lucky_P]

Have mine divided into 18 paddocks ~5 acres each. Depending on time of season, and rate of growth, the cows spend 1-3 days in each paddock. I try not to leave 'em on one paddock for more than 4, even if there's still what looks like a lot of grass left. Shortest rotation time to come back to regraze a paddock is about 19 days... longest may be a month or more.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

Each of our herds have a 3 pasture rotation. On years where everything works out, i dont move them until it rains. We on average get rain weekly, but not every year. I do though hold them back until it does rain if its forecast as long as i feel the grass will hold out. So that alters how long they stay in each field sometimes. They do stay as long as i feel they've grazed enough. I just like to move them on a wet note. How do i know when to move grazing wise....i have no idea how to explain. Every place is different, so it would be hard to say this place is the same as that place. I do know that if you just continue to graze open and dont rotate, you ruin your land where i live.
Our cows have been doing this system for many years and with 3 pastures, they know which one they came out of and will not go back. They have to go to the next according to them. I've tried to move them out of sequence, but they stand at the gate and shake their heads. I've even left the gate open and the never go back.

Just wanted to let you know I have been doing this and it is working very well. We get a lot more growth when we rotate on a rain. Thank you for the great advice cowgirl8!