3. Matching kind and class of livestock with pasture characteristics – consider the animal that will graze a specific area and if possible try to match their grazing behaviour with the pasture. Research has shown that yearling cattle tend to graze more uniformly than cow/calf pairs with cows and calves grazing closer to water sources than yearlings. Old cows with calves tend to use sheltered areas most while younger cows with calves tend to use open grassland. With an understanding of these behaviours, you may be able to design a more effective grazing plan.
Making it all Fit
4. Grazing management strategies to influence distribution – planned grazing strategies are one of the most effective ways to improve grazing distribution. Rotational grazing (moving animals through two or more pastures during the grazing period to allow periods of rest) can affect animal distribution within a pasture. As well, rotational systems tend to result in smaller pasture size and more uniform shape. Increasing stocking density can improve livestock grazing distribution and forage use efficiency as the amount of forage available to each animal decreases, creating competition between animals for limited forage. Likewise, with managed grazing systems plans can be based upon proper season of use to ensure that plants are palatable and of high quality, both playing into animal preference and selectivity.
Foragebeef.ca – Technical Information for the Canadian Forage Beef Industry. www.foragebeef.ca.
Commercial Country
Grazing management is complex and the elements that affect the ‘art and science’ are numerous. Throughout this series we’ve touched on some of the basics and hopefully we’ve covered some new ideas that can be applied to your own operation. In our next and final installment we’ll tie it all together and discuss developing practical grazing systems that work! References and Additional Reading:
Mousel, E.M. 2007. Managing Grazing Livestock Distribution. South DakotaStateUniversity Cooperative Extension Service. http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/1084/managing-livestockgrazing-distribution. Saskatchewan Forage Council. 2008. Managing Saskatchewan Rangeland, Revised Edition. J. Bruynooghe and R. Macdonald (Editors). http://www.saskforage.ca/publications/ ManagingRangeland.pdf Schacht, W.H., J.D. Volesky, and S.S. Waller. 1996. Proper Livestock Grazing Distribution on Rangeland. University of Nebraska – Lincoln. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/1315.
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