While it is often a relief to farmers and ranchers to turn their livestock out to summer grazing pastures in the spring, it also comes with its own challenges. Producers are relieved from the daily feeding routines for a few months, but they still worry about the quantity and quality of forages available, pest management, and keeping the livestock in the pastures. While there is no way to completely remove these trials, there are a few techniques that can help a producer mitigate the concerns.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and conservation partners promote rotational grazing as a tool to assist producers. Rotational grazing can look different for producers depending on the goals, labor availability, and structures currently installed. High intensity grazing, or moving livestock daily is more labor intensive while others simply opt to rotate through a few pastures throughout the summer. None the less, each cross fence implemented improves forage production and utilization.
When producers implement a rotational grazing system on their operation, the grass has more time to rest and will recover better, allowing for optimal growth the following year. Grass that is grazed season long often becomes over grazed in some areas and under grazed in others. Areas that are overgrazed, lose their extensive root system and are no longer able to handle drier weather patterns leading to less forage availability to the livestock. In overgrazed conditions, some plant species such as invasive weeds and cool season grasses become abundant. Soil health is also compromised, leading to poor structure and increased risk of erosion.
Rotational grazing systems also help with animal waste management and distribution. As livestock are rotated throughout smaller pastures, manure is more uniformly distributed. This improves nutrient management for the field and supports plant growth. Manure distribution is also important for managing flies and other pests. These nuisances lay eggs and the larvae develop in livestock manure. Horn flies mature anywhere from 10- 20 days. When operating under a high intensity rotational grazing system, livestock are in a different pasture before the flies mature and bother them. Livestock are less stressed when pest pressure is reduced, improving overall productivity and weight gain, positively impacting the producers bottom line.
The NRCS has programs available to assist with implementing a rotational grazing system. They can provide technical guidance on cross fences and watering structures that can make rotational grazing feasible for your operation. For more information, please visit with your local NRCS field office staff.
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