Rotational Grazing Question.

[Walker]

For those who use Rotational grazing, do you have for a lack of a better term a calendar of events the helps to keep you on track as to what you need to be focusing on for the current as well as upcoming months. If you do could you share an overview.

 

[Isomade]

I rotate by height of grass, not time. During heavy rain periods when the grass is really growing you rotate faster than during drier periods.

 

[1wlimo]

Nver had a formal calander but would keep a record of how many days feed there would be. ie if the feed is this hight and there are x acres then that is y number of days here, and so on. Makes moving animals about easier. They figures would just be noted into a small note book. Now they would be on my phone.

 

[IL cow man]

Rotational grazing has a huge learning curve, but can give tremendous benefits. There are grazing charts or you can make one with a calendar to keep track of your moves and can get a history of pasture performance that will help plan for the future grazing. Just starting out you have to just learn as you go. The hardest thing or the biggest mistake I have made is not allowing long enough rest periods for paddocks and keeping them grazed to short. Different times of the year require different lengths of rest for grass to grow back into stage two of growth.

 

[regolith]

Calender of events? I don't, but I've seen such things, if it's what you're thinking of. They're pretty simple,just divided into seasons (spring/late spring/summer and so on) and an indication of what you might need to be doing, silage, fertiliser, extending the rotation or stuff like that.

I keep a small wall chart style calender, about 1/2 in by 1 1/2 in space per day, and write my grazing record on that. I have a code I use - the day the cows leave a paddock is the day I write it on the map, if I cross it out it's been grazed again at a later date, if I circle it it's been set aside for silage or hay instead of grazed. There's space to indicate which group of cows grazed which paddock or if you applied fertiliser, but mostly I use it to check which areas are due to be grazed next and how long the rotation is.
Aside from that, I have 'rules of thumb' that I keep in my head and which have stood me in good stead year after year, in different districts, on different farms... Just things like 'drop out grass as surplus as early as possible in spring (August/September), before it's a true surplus, cut by mid-October and you'll have top quality silage and fast regrowth of the pasture.' 'Maintain a 45 day rotation through August, 30 at the beginning of September, twenty by the end, 17 if necessary through mid-spring than back out to 30 by Christmas, 45 days around mid-March, 60 by the end of May.' That's what works for my farm system and my locality,with only minor adjustments year to year.
But I shouldn't tell all my secrets like that or the neighbours'll be on to it and then their pastures will look as good as mine.

 

[regolith]

Rotational grazing has a huge learning curve, but can give tremendous benefits. There are grazing charts or you can make one with a calendar to keep track of your moves and can get a history of pasture performance that will help plan for the future grazing. Just starting out you have to just learn as you go. The hardest thing or the biggest mistake I have made is not allowing long enough rest periods for paddocks and keeping them grazed to short. Different times of the year require different lengths of rest for grass to grow back into stage two of growth.

I am in exactly that situation this year owing to the over-optimistic expectations of how many cows this farm could carry. While the farm has big issues, part of the trouble is hungry cows having grazed the grass short time and time again - exhausting the reserves of the plant and limiting the green leaf available to harness the energy it needs to regrow. So the situation compounds itself, creating an even bigger deficit of grass.
The other big mistake I suspect I've made, though it would have worked on any other farm I've managed, was the decision to drop to a 20-day rotation even though the pre-grazing heights would be too low, for two reasons - presence of chicory which looses quality after 20 days and the expectation of warm weather boosting growth, meaning you can feed the cows a little better (more area) today and there will be even more available tomorrow. I've only done one rotation at 20 days and the feed deficit appears to be worsening, even though my measurements suggest growth rates are adequate. 10% of the herd has now been culled.

 

[dun]

I've found it to be pretty much as the others have mentioned. No set schedule since every year Ma Nature likes to throw in little twists. Our paddock sizes vary each year, grazing periods vary each year. It's a constant learning curve or changing practice curve is probably a better term.

 

[agmantoo]

My experience with rotational grazing is longer that some that post here and I do not mind sharing what works for me.
I realize that most people are not prone to rotate very frequently. I feel that I need to check on my herd daily and I find that if I take the time to rotate the animals on the same schedule the end results are greatly enhanced. Each allotted paddock will be harvested ideally and there is very little wasted forage because manure contamination is held to a minimum. I never run cattle on the same ground for more than 5 days! Doing so is stressful to the forage and will create weak stands. My first trial with daily rotation came from a Winter when grass was limited as a result of a dry growing season. Even if the herd did not get as much grass as they wanted they will be patiently waiting at the polywire as they have come to realize that fresh feed is just hours away. As long as the animals are not bawling when I show up and then not running to new grass I know they are OK with what they are receiving. It is not cold here yet and I do not have IMO excess stockpiled feed for the entire Winter. The cattle are fat and I know that they can manage with a reduced amount of forage until it gets colder. I am running ~100 broodcows, approximately 65 calves under 500 lbs, 2 bulls and 2 donkeys on 4/10ths of an acre/day currently. No back grazing permitted as I am planting behind the herd.

 

[rnh1]

how do you estimate the area to give them?

 

[regolith]

how do you estimate the area to give them?

You can do it the mathematical way, or you can give them an area and observe how long it lasts, how well they graze it down and how they behave on it, and adjust accordingly. Even if you use the math, double check by observing what happens.

I hoped someone who doesn't use metric would answer first, but here's the kilo/hectare version. In my pastures, 15 cm (6 in) is 3000 kg dry matter per hectare and grazing to 5 cm (2 in) leaves 1650 kg dry matter behind - so 1350 kg can be eaten from every hectare. Or, if I have a hundred cows, they're going to harvest 13.5 kg if their daily allocation is 1 hectare.
My cows need 18 kg dry matter of grass every day. So I have 160 x 18 = 2880/1350 = 2.13. I can give them 2.13 hectare grass at 6 inches long tomorrow. BUT if I'm planning on giving them 2.13 hectares every day, there's one more check to make. 50 ha total area to graze divided by 2.13 = 23 days before you re-graze tomorrow's grass. That's a good rotation length for me this time of year, so we'll say that's okay. If the cows require an inappropriate rotation length the grass available isn't balancing their needs and changes need to be made to stocking rate or feed supply or number of paddocks closed for harvesting.

 

[1wlimo]

regolith is pretty much bang on, just that every field is different, and the weather etc tends to make our plans need to change. When you get used to it walking the pasture before and after grazing and being able to measure the grass volume becomes easier.

This sporing when it was wet I had heapos of grass but it was of litte feed value. Cows eating all they could eat and getting thin, so you just need to keep in mind the feed value of the forage as well.

 

[Walker]

Agmantoo, I have a few questions. When do you tenatively,reseed, spray weeds, bush hog excess forage and do you have a defined breeding season. Thank you for any info.

 

[agmantoo]

Agmantoo, I have a few questions. When do you tenatively,reseed, spray weeds, bush hog excess forage and do you have a defined breeding season. Thank you for any info.

I Start seeding in September if we have moisture. If moisture is inadequate to get the seed to germinate, I will wait and seed up until late November. I am seeding to accomplish two things. The reestablishment of any fescue that has been lost due to lack of rain and to gain supplemental feed if the fescue is lacking in growth. I do not spray weeds in the paddocks. I firmly believe that herbicides stress plants even if they survive the spraying. I do not turn the soil to prevent exposing buried weed seeds. The fescue tends to smother, by shading, most of the undesirable weeds. I bushhog when seedheads are forming to get the endophyte reduced and to kept the plants in a vegetative state. I run the bull with the herd yearround and I market feeder calves usually 4 times a year. I am striving the get an average price for the calves, not the low price when the market is gloated nor the high price when the supply is low. I also try to keep the forage demand spread over the year. Here is how things looked today

 

[Walker]

Agmantoo, how did you deal with weeds when you first started Rotate graze. What % of your input exspence is associated with seed,with fertilize/lime, what is your most expensive input, and what do you feel are the greatest hurdles to rotate graze. Thanks for any info.

 

[agmantoo]

Agmantoo, how did you deal with weeds when you first started Rotate graze. What % of your input exspence is associated with seed,with fertilize/lime, what is your most expensive input, and what do you feel are the greatest hurdles to rotate graze. Thanks for any info.

Walker, I have had a pesticide license for many years. Before I had cattle I was a part time grain farmer. Like others, I fell into the practices used by most other farmers, same land prep, same fertilizers, same herbicides, etc. I initially started with the cattle doing the same as everyone else also. I made the same profit as most others also and I was significantly disappointed as I went to cattle to have income. After 3 years I decided that I was going to make some changes or go out of the cattle business. I set out determining what I had control over. I was told so many things that I could not do that I hardly knew where to start. Because I was not netting any income to speak of and I knew that from my farming experience I could control weeds mechanically I started reducing my dependence on herbicides early on and I saw that not turning the soil and exposing weed seeds along with proper timing of clipping weed heads was working. I also observed that the cattle would eat some weeds if given access to them when tender. I had been allocating 25% of my gross income from the cattle on commercial fertilizer and thought that I had to have it. The price of fertilizer jumped to $880/ton and said to myself that I was going to cease to use commercial fertilizer and try to obtain chicken litter. I was also ready to depopulate the herd if necessary and carry whatever number of animals the farm could handle without commercial fertilizer. Low and behold, nothing happened without the commercial fertilize. Actually the forages seemed to be as good or maybe even better. I do keep the PH in order. Input percentages are: seed 16%, fuel and repairs 34% (I have earth moving machinery that I sometimes use to improve the farm), lime and litter 30%, misc 20% These percentages may be misleading as I have nowhere near the gross operating expenses of most producers and some of my expenses would be disproportionate to the input expenses of a conventional producer. The main hurdle is moisture/rain, untimely, too little or excessive. Another hurdle is being classified as a "weirdo" if that would bother you.

 

[SRBeef]

In my own mind I try to keep it simple: Graze the grass when it gets to 10" tall and graze it down to 4" tall. That's really about all you need to know about rotational grazing to get started.

Don't let the grass get taller than 10" if it does get taller at certain times of the year before you can graze it, mow/clip it down to 4". This keeps grass in the leafy vegetative state, taller than that it losses nutrition and goes to seed.

Don't let the grass get shorter than 4" so it has leaf area and reserves to grow back.

How much area you give them depends on how many head you have and how long between moves works for you.

Ideally no more than 4 days but I personally use 7 day rotations. Better yet move them daily. This is especially helpful in keeping down weeds.

To figure how much area your herd needs, give them a small, but known/measured area of 10" tall grass at first and see how long it takes them to eat it down to 4". Then you can adjust that area for the time period you want or need between moves.

Keep it simple. In practice the area will change with the seasons and rain but you will get a feel for it.

Just remember never let the grass get taller than 10" nor shorter than 4". The shorter the rotation period in days the better the weed control.

Good Luck.

Jim

Google the term cow-day of grazing to try to understand cow days as a measure of grass in a field rather than tons etc. Your grass will get better under rotational grazing system. Your focus should be on the grass. Depending on soils etc and where you are starting from, your expenses will vary. We are really grass farmers. Do some soil tests and see what your ground needs to grow good 10" tall grass. Lime, fertilizer, remove compaction, etc. Once you get the system going you will be surprised at how the grass and land improve.

 

[novatech]

I can definitely attest as to how important it is to leave grass at the 4" mark. As most people know we have gone through an extreme drought down here in the south. Those that pulled their cattle early and left there pastures fallow have recovered nicely. Those that opened their gates for free roam grazing still have no grass as it was killed off by grazing to the ground.
Here is a link to a very good article.
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3529.pdf
Jim; I will agree that the 4" mark, in general, is good, but there are some stubble grasses that benefit from grazing down to only 6 or 8".
There has been remarks made about grazing pasture during muddy conditions. Actually there are some grasses and pastures that may benefit from this. I have grazed Tifton 85 until the paddocks looked like mud pits. They recovered better than they were before. Organic matter was pushed into the soil via hoof action, making for better tilth, and rooting nodes were also forced into the soil making for a thicker stand. With other grasses and different dirt, one may only ruin the pasture.

 

[dun]

Novatech;
Next you'll be trying to tell people that one size does not fit all and that what works in one environement/area isn;t the only way to do something. Shocking!

 

[SRBeef]

I can definitely attest as to how important it is to leave grass at the 4" mark. As most people know we have gone through an extreme drought down here in the south. Those that pulled their cattle early and left there pastures fallow have recovered nicely. Those that opened their gates for free roam grazing still have no grass as it was killed off by grazing to the ground.
Here is a link to a very good article.
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3529.pdf
Jim; I will agree that the 4" mark, in general, is good, but there are some stubble grasses that benefit from grazing down to only 6 or 8".
There has been remarks made about grazing pasture during muddy conditions. Actually there are some grasses and pastures that may benefit from this. I have grazed Tifton 85 until the paddocks looked like mud pits. They recovered better than they were before. Organic matter was pushed into the soil via hoof action, making for better tilth, and rooting nodes were also forced into the soil making for a thicker stand. With other grasses and different dirt, one may only ruin the pasture.

I should have added that my comments were for upper midwest grasses and climate - late night post.

I have also seen where the hoof action builds soil OM. Some grasses may come back strong after muddy grazing. Mine on heavy clay do not. Compaction seems to cause more damage than OM does good.

As Dun points out - no one universal answer to most ag questions.

Jim

 

[rkvp65]

Hello all!

Really trying to stick with the rotational grazing for my few lambs. However, one of our larger pasture areas is sitting idly and growing like MAD! If I were to stick the girls in that area (over 2 acres) would I have to cut down the size of the area or just leave it all as one pasture? Basically asking if you only have a few lambs on 2 acres, should you still rotate them to the other pastures or because it is such a large area, would rotation be necessary?

Hope I worded that right!! Would appreciate any replies!!!

BTW, we are totally new to sheep (a couple of months) and are just loving them to death!!!!