Rotational grazing
- Thread starter Jeff T M
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE
Well-known member
If you are set up right, it can save you money in winter feeding,and make you money with increased production. ;-) :cboy:
mbdear
Well-known member
My pastures improved in both quality and quantity after switching from continuous grazing to rotational grazing. Eating more good grass has improved the condition of my cattle.
certherfbeef
Well-known member
There are the benefits but keep in mind that there is added work and maintenece in a rotational or intensive grazing set up.
More fence to maintain and the fences and water source just doesn't move all by it's self.
More fence to maintain and the fences and water source just doesn't move all by it's self.
I hear gain per acre really skyrockets once you find your stride..My interest in it is weed control and extended legume life.I understand you can see positive results in both with mig.Does any one use the put and take method-over stock for the fast spring growth ,then sell off some at summer slow down?
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
I have seen claims that you can get up to 2 or 2.5 x the set stocking rate by going to the ideal rotation system. One of my rented pastures had carried 28 head the year before I got it. I ran 76 head this year with two light urea applications, clover frost seeding, spot spraying, and cross fencing. The retired owner just shakes his head because he has never seen anyone invest in pasture like that. He does like the way the pasture and the cattle now look. The previous renter made more money short term because I am putting alot in labor, clover seed, another water hole, and cross fence. I had planned to cut way back on the urea and the digging next year, but now another neighbor has asked if I want to rent his run down pasture.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
I try to get 5 year contracts on rented ground. The permanent pasture I mentioned is largely bluegrass, with a little quack grass and a little Dutch white clover. I am frost seeding 1# of white clover and 4# of red clover per acre with a spinner.
I have two mixes I am trying for converting crop land:
1) improved reed canary with red clover and alfalfa
2) white clover, red clover, improved fesuce, festoliumn
I have two mixes I am trying for converting crop land:
1) improved reed canary with red clover and alfalfa
2) white clover, red clover, improved fesuce, festoliumn
Andrew
Well-known member
I do rotational grazing on native grasses. I've seen very good results and can carry a lot more cattle than without subdivisions.
I've even seen the grass improve from one year to the next. I did a soil test and I assume its the manure deposits and the rest period between grazing. I rest the pasture about 30 days or so between grazing. When I graze, I strip graze almost down to the soil. I don't feed any supplement except for the occasional range cube when I pen them. Strip grazing seems to make new grass come out more than grazing to 4 inches like everyone recommends.
The cows are doing well.
I've even seen the grass improve from one year to the next. I did a soil test and I assume its the manure deposits and the rest period between grazing. I rest the pasture about 30 days or so between grazing. When I graze, I strip graze almost down to the soil. I don't feed any supplement except for the occasional range cube when I pen them. Strip grazing seems to make new grass come out more than grazing to 4 inches like everyone recommends.
The cows are doing well.
endebt
Well-known member
We rotate grazen . We have 450 ac. we have it broken down in to 20 different pastures. The pastures measure from 2 ac, traps to 40 ac pastures. There is a 16 ft alley way that runs from one end of the ranch to other. We move cows in the alley way where we need to go. We run two herds and two different calving seasons. It has helped our stocking rate and our grass. we have 100 ac. of improved grass, That we can bale, We normally bale 200 bales of rye grass for our calving time. We calve in a 5ac lot at our working pens. We raise heifers every year for replacements. This seems to work for us . We also have 9 stock tanks for water, some in pastures and some in traps to service more than one pasture. Hope this helps answer some of the questions.
taranr2002
Well-known member
We have 140 acres of pasture and we have it divided into 5 fields so we graze about 20% of it at a time our grass is much better and it keeps our cows on new ground all the time. We couldn't run near as many if we didn't.
We have some neghbors that run cattle for three months out of the year on there ranch. In june they buy steers and then in august they sell them. They overstock it big time in this period of time but it can recover for the rest of the year. For the rest of the nine months there cowboys can either maintain the ranch, go get another job, or retire for the rest of the year. Just thought that I would share, Kaneranch
Texan
Well-known member
You might have to help some of us with the math on that one.kaneranch":3q9b7h0b said:
bigbull338
Well-known member
texan that is some of that fuzzy math.it just dont add up.scott
Dvperez81
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2005
- Messages
- 64
- Reaction score
- 0
We have 450 acres , 6 pastures we rotate cattle every 25 days at most . just brought 75 acres last year which was mostly a wooded area/jungle burned it down and planted seeds going to burn it down again real soon should be ready by march or april of next year . rotational grazing is great cattle are always going to be feeding on the fresh pasture .
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
kaneranch":3uqlyzgs said:
This is the exactly the type of operation that some universities like to model to show that you can not make any money grazing yearlings...
Sounds like they are in the land business.
