FROM THE GROUND UP: HOW GRAZING PROTOCOLS CAN BENEFIT ARKANSAS RANCHERS
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armers and ranchers across Arkansas continue to look for innovative ways to steward the land. In recent years, many have started working towards raising more livestock with less inputs. For some, this has led to implementing grazing programs on their operations. Many Arkansas ranchers are familiar with the 300-day grazing program, a management effort to reduce the number of days a producer must feed hay and lower their input costs. The 300-day grazing program from University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture includes eight different practices to help ranchers achieve this goal. For some cattle producers in the state, the desire to lower production costs and utilize a variety of forage resources has led them to rotational grazing. Rotational grazing is the containment and rotation of livestock through pasture to reduce inputs while improving soil, animal and forage health. Only one portion of pasture is used at a time. Cattle with access 12
By Shaylee Wallace to full pastures will only consume one-third of the forage available to them, returning to the more palatable forage and leaving other nutritious plants behind. Not only does free grazing use only a third of a pasture, but it also means higher input costs through more grain or more hay needed to maximize nutrition. Rotational grazing can increase forage consumption up to two-thirds, reducing feed and hay costs and improving soil and forage health. Rotational grazing typically includes temporary electrical fencing. This fencing is used to create smaller sections within a pasture. As cattle graze a section down, they also help reduce weeds and overgrowth through trampling and recycle nutrients back into the soil from urine and manure. A heavier stocking density helps assure there is little to no forage waste and aids in weed reduction and nutrient recycling. It is important for each rancher to find the right stocking number for their land based
Arkansas Agriculture
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ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • FALL 2021
