Rotational grazing

[BFE]

I have picked up a new pasture for next year. It's divided into basically four sections that can be grazed separately, two larger of equal size and two smaller of equal size. I assume the two larger would last for 3-4 weeks apiece, the smaller two 1-2 weeks. This would give a minimum of two months rest for each section. It's mostly fescue. It would be hard to divide any farther due to water supply.

Those of you that rotational graze, what do you think of this setup? My experience with the method is very limited. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[kenny thomas]

Any rest will help but if you can somehow use poly wire and get the move down to a week it will respond even better.

 

[ddd75]

about 20 days rest is all you really want for your area i'd say

 

[Texasmark]

Totally agree on rotation. I used hot wires for perimeter and gates (which were easily moved) when it was time to move the bovines.

 

[BFE]

Any rest will help but if you can somehow use poly wire and get the move down to a week it will respond even better.

All but one I could strip graze moving away from the water, but the lay of the land and water sources make it to where I can't rotate them off completely. Would a combination strip/rotational work well on those areas or would it not gain me anything?

 

[kenny thomas]

Anything that reduces the area available will make them utilize it more. Wide open they might get 50%. Rotating them might get 70%. Tight strips might get 80%. Start with what's easiest for you and work from there.

 

[wbvs58]

I have 7 paddocks I rotate around but only 3-4 days in each so only about 25 days before they are back again. I would like a longer spell but it seems to work well during the growing season with plant density building up as long as rain comes at the right interval and the paddocks aren't grazed to the ground.

Ken

 

[tsellars]

@BFE Found this thread and wondering what you ending up doing on number of days in each, how much rest, advice, do's or don't's etc.

I have 2 10-12 acre fields and 2 that are 5-6 acres each, 3/4 fescue.

 

[BFE]

So far I just use it as a two pasture setup. Start them on the two smaller patches , then just go by what's out there. Been three weeks on the small ones, moving across the road tomorrow to the two bigger ones that are just one big one now. The hotwire the landowner had to section o the big one off into two, I took it out. Fought it for a year, it was a mess, two 17ga wires that I couldn't keep hot, multiflora rose grown up in it, deer run through it, etc. The plan is to put a single HT strand up to make the big one into two again, but time hasn't allowed that yet. I'll have to combat some brush to get it how I want it, and I've had other fencing projects going, so that one's on the back burner.

Given that, I haven't been able to rotate as intensively as I would like too yet, but any rest will be beneficial, especially in winter. Had a pasture that had briar thickets you could hide a truck in, had to have cows off from Nov-spring for deer season. Within a couple years the grass was so thick you couldn't hardly walk through it in late May.

Kenny or some of the others are more knowledgeable than me, but what you've described should work well. Go by the grass, graze half, leave half, you'll be happy with the results.