ABCsPasture Grazing

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L P E S Small Farms Fact Sheet series

Livestock and Poultry

Environmental StewardshipL P E S > Curriculum

The ABCs of Pasture GrazingBy Ben Bartlett, Michigan State University

Summary

Well-managed pastures are A lways the B est C rop for theenvironment, for the grazing animal, and for you. A well-managed pasture is a dense, healthy crop of grass and legumesthat can provide a security blanket for the land, good nutrition

for the animal, and more money in your pocket. Achieving a well-managed pasture does not take a big investment. It does requireanimal and plant knowledge, identification of your goals, some

equipment, and practice.

Why is a Well-ManagedPasture Always the BestCrop?

The best crop for theenvironment would protect

the soil from wind and watererosion; catch the most rainfallpossible to recharge the under-ground water system; hold,capture, and use nutrients

applied in the form of manureand fertilizer; and wouldprovide a valuable product forhuman society. A well-managedpasture can do all this.

Managed grazing of pasturescan provide nutritious grassesand legumes, or forage, rationsfor cattle, sheep, horses, goats,and other grazing animals.





LPES Small Farms series The ABCs of Pasture Grazing

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Figure 2. The three phrases of growth.

The growth cycle. Phase Iis the first growth afterdormancy or winter. It issupplied from the root reservesand is slow. There is limitedplant growth but it is very highquality.

In Phase II, the green leavesare big enough to use energyfrom the sun. This processcauses a fast growth rate and

a rebuilding of reserves. A highquantity and high quality offorage results.

In Phase III, the growth rateslows as the plant producesseeds and plant decay begins.This yields a large quantity offeed but with decreasing quality.

The ideal grazing systemwould start grazing near the endof Phase II growth and stopgrazing with enough green leaffor rapid regrowth.

These plant growth principlesare usable for most all environ-

ments and all kinds of plants.

Growth per year . Eachplant can have one or moregrowth cycles per year butother factors influence the totalamount of growth per year.Moisture, temperature, soilfertility, and length of day arethe main factors that determineseason long growth rate. Thesefactors will also have differentimpact depending on the speciesor mix of forage species you aregrowing. To increase the totalamount of forage produced, youneed to identify the limitinggrowth factor such as lengthof day or rainfall. You can add

fertility in the form ofcommercial fertilizer or manureand you can install irrigation,but you cannot control temper-ature and length of day. (Formore information on manuremanagement, see the SmallFarms fact sheet titled "Manureon Your Farm: Asset orLiability?") While you cannotmake more sunshine, it isimportant to realize that withcool season grasses the fastestgrowth will occur during the




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longest daylight if other factorsare adequate. In areas with

warm season forages and lessrainfall, growth will dependmore on rainfall.

To increase the totalamount of forageproduced, you needto identify the limiting

growth factor such aslength of day orrainfall.

Grazing management.

How you control the animal’sgrazing can have a big impacton regrowth rates, pasture

species, plant density, andnutrient recycling. If you allowanimals to graze a long time inthe same pasture, they will over-harvest the tasty plants and notput any grazing pressure on theundesirable species. If you grazepastures very frequently andshort, like a mowed lawn, it willfavor species like clover and thepastures will become moredense. Pastures grazed veryshort in the fall will be slower to

grow in the spring due todecreased reserves. (Figure 3)

Figure 3. Beef cattle waiting to graze thenext pasture.Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS.

Pastures grazed veryshort in the fall will beslower to grow in the

spring.

Your pastures are the productof how they have been grazed inthe past. Your current grazingmanagement will determinewhat your pasture looks like inthe future.

Spend time in your pastureslearning what forages you have,how they grow, and how youand the environment affect theirgrowth.




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These grazing principalswork on irrigated or non-

irrigated land and for sheep(Figure 4) or cattle grazing.

Figure 4. Sheep grazing irrigated land.Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS.

How animals graze.

Grazing animals go for the bestplants first and get the mostnutrition when first turned intoa pasture. Therefore, we cancontrol the level of animalperformance by how much ofthe plant we make the animalseat. For high-input animals likedairy cows, pastures also needto be dense so the cow gets lotsof forage with every bite.

How often do animals need a

new pasture? The golden rule isthat you move animals to a fresharea before they graze any plantregrowth. This could be as shortas three days or maybe as long

as six months. If animals areallowed to graze regrowth that

is not given enough rest torestore root reserves, the plantis weakened. This lack of restis overgrazing.

Step #2. Identify your goalsfor your pasture.

There is not a “right” way

to graze or manage your pasturebecause it depends on yourgoals. You might want to grazeone way for maximum gain peracre or another way formaximum average daily gainper animal. You are in control,and your grazing system canchange pasture plant species,plant density, regrowth rates,level of animal performance,and the diversity of the plantcommunity.

The golden ruleis that you moveanimals to a fresharea before theygraze any plantregrowth.




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To create a successful grazingprogram, you need to writedown short-term goals for yourpastures and long-term goals foryour grazing program. Test yourgrazing system practices against

your long-term goals. The mostimportant thing is that you setgoals before you make plansand major investments. Wheredo you want to go? What profitor environmental or personalchanges do you expect?

Step #3. Determine yourfencing, water, and animal

facility needs.

Fencing. New fencingmaterials and fencingtechniques have greatlyincreased the fencing options.

The first fencing decisionis to decide where to use anelectric (psychological) or anon-electric (physical) barrierfence. Electric fence is generallylower cost and is the mostcommon choice (Figure 5).Non-electric fences should beused where escape would bevery undesirable, animals couldbe crowded against the fence, orthere is danger to humans,especially children (Figure 6).

Figure 5. Electric psychological barrierfence.

To create a success-ful grazing program,write down yourshort- and long-termgoals.

Managed grazing

puts you in control.




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Figure 6. Board physical barrier fence.

The fence must be effective.If the animals escape, you donot have controlled grazing.Design your fence for 99% ofyour animals and sell the 1%who are chronic escapers. Twomore important items: the fencemust be fixable and low costover its usable life. Cheapmaterials may result in a high-cost fence in the long run sincethe cost of a fence is ½ materialsand ½ labor.

Design your fence for99% of your animalsand sell the 1% whoare chronic escapers.

To create a fencing plan,• Determine fence location

and legal boundaries.• Determine what kind of

animals you may begrazing.

• Draw your farm/ranchfencing plan on an aerialmap.

• Design your fence; numberof posts, wires, gates, etc.

•

Make a fence buildingpriority plan; people rarelybuild all of their fence inone year.

A good fence includes well-built corner and end posts. SeeFigure 7 for an example of goodend post construction.

Figure 7. Well-built post assembly.




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Water. Many pasturesystems use streams or ponds/-

reservoirs for animal watering.Animal access to the waterneeds to be managed to preventenvironmental damage fromhooves and too much manure.It may be necessary to fence theentire stream or pond and use acontrolled and designed wateraccess site (Figure 8). In manysituations, water can be easilyand cheaply moved to portablewater tanks via the new plasticpipe (Figure 9). The key is tomonitor the streamside areas inyour pasture to maintain ahealthy ecosystem. (For moreinformation about safeguardingthe water on your farm, see theSmall Farms fact sheet titled

"Protecting the Water on YourSmall Farm.")

Figure 8. Stream access site for cattle.Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

Figure 9. Dairy cows drinking fromportable water tank in pasture.Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

Animal facilities. Managedgrazing is a low-cost system, butinvesting in adequate facilitieslike good fencing is critical.Other animal facilities includehandling equipment for gather-ing and working animals; lanesfor mud-free, wet weathertravel; and shade for extremely

hot weather. Every pasture,every kind of animal, and everypart of the country will havedifferent challenges to a pro-ductive grazing system. Yourresponsibility as the manager isto identify the problems andapply solutions.




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How do you design a fence,build a stream access site, ordetermine the correct fencecharger? Local experts are oftenthe best source of this informa-tion. Get to know your fencebuilders, extension agent, NRCSstaff, and other land and animalexperts in your area. Some ofthese organizations also havecost share programs for grazing

and environmental conservationpractices. The Internet andvarious websites are otherimportant sources ofinformation.

Step #4. Practice, practice,practice the art of grazing.

A well-managed grazingsystem will improve the health

and the productivity of apasture. If you do the right

thing at the right time, grazinganimals are good for grazingland. Knowledge of plantgrowth and how animals grazewill help you do the right thing.Do not worry about having thecorrect size or number ofpastures or be overwhelmed bythe details of a grazing system.The most important thing is toget started on an improvedgrazing system. Yourexperience on your farm,combined with new grazingknowledge, is the best teacher.A well-managed pasture canimprove the environment andyour bottom line.

If you do the rightthing at the righttime, grazing animalsare good for grazingland.

Managed grazing is

a low-cost system,but investing inadequate facilitieslike good fencing iscritical.




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Points to Remember• Have a goal. Why are

you grazing? What willsuccess look like?• Understand both the why

and the how to. If you donot know why you aredoing something, do notdo it. More fences are justmore fences, not agrazing system.

• Practice, monitor, re-plan,

practice, monitor, re-plan. . .You may never get itall right, but with increas-ing knowledge andpractice, you can geta little closer.




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AuthorBen Bartlett, Dairy and Livestock Agent,Michigan State University, can be reachedat 906-439-5880 or [email protected].

Project ManagerThe author wishes to thank Diane Huntrods,the LPES Project Manager, at MWPS, IowaState University, for editing this fact sheetand coordinating its completion.

ReviewersThe author wishes to thank Dan Undersander,University of Wisconsin; Terry Gompert,University of Nebraska Extension; WoodyLane, Lane Livestock Services; and KevinOgles, NRCS Grazing Specialist, for theirreview of this fact sheet.

For More Information

Small Farm ResourcesContact The Stockman Grass Farmer, 800-748-9808, to purchase Intensive Grazing Management: Forage,

Animals, Men, Profits.Contact the Iowa State University Extension Distribution Center, 515-294-5247 or

www.extension.iastate.edu, to purchase Pasture Management Guide for Livestock Producers, 1998.Contact the University of Wisconsin Extension, 877-947-7827 or cecommerce.uwex.edu, to purchase

Wisconsin Pastures for Profit, 2002.Contact University of Missouri Extension Publications, 800-292-0969 or muextension.missouri.edu, to

purchase the 1996 Missouri Grazing Manual.Contact Ben Bartlett, MSU Extension, 906-439-5880, to purchase Watering Systems for Grazing

Livestock, 1998.

Contact University of Wisconsin Extension, 877-947-7827 or cecommerce.uwex.edu, to purchase the CDPastures for Horses, A Guide to Rotational Grazing, 2003.http://forages.oregonstate.edu–Oregon State University Forage Information websitehttp://www.sare.org–Sustainable Agriculture Research and Educationhttp://www.attra.org–National Sustainable Agricultural Information Servicehttp://www.uwex.edu/ces/forage/links.htm–University of Wisconsin Forage and Extension LinksUSDA-CSREES Small Farm hotline–800-583-3071

The LPES Small Farmsseries was developed withsupport from USDA-CSREES, U.S. EPA’s AgCenter, and University ofNebraska CooperativeExtension at Lincoln,under CooperativeAgreement Number 2003-39490-14107.

M W P SMidWest Plan Service

A Foundation of Knowledge

Agricultural Publications

MWPS (MidWest PlanService), headquartered atIowa State University, is theprimary distributor of LPESmaterials.

To order, access theirwebsite athttp://www.mwpshq.organd visit the catalog section.

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ABCsPasture Grazing