Grazing management for ruminants

1. GRAZING MANAGEMENT 101
BASIC CONCEPTS
Lamar Smith
Cascabel Ranch & Consulting
Carta Valley, Texas

2. BASIC TOOLS OF GRAZING
MANAGEMENT
Grazing intensity
stocking rate
Frequency of grazing
length of grazing and rest periods
Season of grazing
plant growth, animal diets, multiple uses
Animal distribution
grazing efficiency, multiple uses
Kind of animal
diet, poisonous plants, topography, water

3. Proper kind of livestock.

4. ANIMAL
UNIT
Animal Unit = 1000 pound cow with calf or
equivalent based on forage intake.
Cow = 1 AU
Bull = 1.5 AU
Sheep = .2 AU

5. STOCKING RATE VS
CARRYING CAPACITY
Stocking rate is the number of animals
actually pastured on a given area for a
given amount of time.
Proper stocking rate is the stocking rate
that will approximate the carrying capacity
over a period of years. Proper stocking
can vary from one year to the next.

6. STOCKING DENSITY
Number of animals present per unit of area
of a given pasture at a given point in time.

7. Graze
12 Months
Rest
0 Months
Stock Density 1
Example

8. Graze
6 Months
Rest
6 Months
Stock Density 2
Example

9. Graze
3 Months
Rest
9 Months
Stock Density 4
Example

10. Graze
1.5 Months
Rest
10.5 Months
Stock Density 8
Example

11. STOCKING RATE VS ANIMAL
PRODUCTION
Animal
Production
Stocking Rate
Light Mod Heavy
Gain per Head

12. STOCKING RATE VS ANIMAL
PRODUCTION
Animal
Production
Stocking Rate
Light Mod Heavy
Gain per Head
Gain per Acre

13. STOCKING RATE VS ANIMAL
PRODUCTION
Animal
Production
Stocking Rate
Light Mod Heavy
Gain per Head
Gross Income
Fixed Costs
Variable Costs
Most profitable stocking rate

14. Proper stocking rate?
Range Health standpoint

15. BASIS FOR STOCKING RATES
 Proper stocking based on maintaining sufficient
plant residue for:
◦ Plant health/regrowth
◦ Wildlife forage
◦ Erosion prevention
 Set stocking rate below carrying capacity
◦ To allow for drought
◦ To allow for low productivity years

16. Overstocking and overgrazing are not the same thing.

17. Grazing resistant species (blue grama) is key species,
make up most of forage base.
Animal performance declines before overgrazing
occurs.

18. Key species make up small part of forage base,
lack high grazing resistance.
(black grama, bush muhly)
Range will be overgrazed before animal production
suffers.

19. TERMS USED IN GRAZING SYSTEMS
Continuous vs rotation
Grazing season vs growing season
Deferment vs rest
Rest rotation, deferred rotation
High intensity, low frequency
Best pasture

20. Rest is defined as no grazing for a full year or more.

21. One of the disadvantages of intensive grazing
management.

22. IMPORTANT POINTS
Flexibility
Annual planning
Keep number of herds to minimum
Move ALL the cows

23. POSITIVE EFFECTS
Rest heavy use areas, most favored plants
Improve distribution
Better livestock husbandry
Accommodates wildlife and other uses

24. Rotation grazing can improve livestock distribution.

25. Grazing systems may
improve animal husbandry

26. One advantage of smaller pastures is that it is easier to
find and gather cattle..

27. NEGATIVE EFFECTS
Reduced animal performance
Higher labor costs
Higher improvement

28. Grazing systems may reduce animal
performance.

29. Grazing systems can increase labor costs.

30. Yep. This ranch is so well improved I have to sell it
to pay for the improvements.

31. Grazing systems increase need for improvements and
maintenance.

32. Riparian Grazing - What is Different?

33. Temperature is limiting factor to
plant growth - not moisture.
Regrowth is predictable and rapid.

34. RIPARIAN PASTURES
Fence off riparian area from uplands
Time grazing to allow regrowth before
flood season

35. Riparian area within larger pasture - not practical to fence out.
1. Graze in dormant season or early in growing season.
2. Short grazing periods.
3. Offstream water, supplements.
4. Riding and culling.