When you’ve had a busy week, nothing is better than a little extra time to rest and get back on track. The same is true for pastures. During grazing season, giving forages time to rest and recover can boost plant growth, allow for increased stocking rates and add pounds to cattle grazing. That’s the purpose behind implementing a rotational grazing system as opposed to a continual grazing system.
Rotational grazing systems break large pastures into smaller sections or paddocks. Cattle are moved frequently between paddocks to give plants time to rest and develop a strong root system. There are many ways to divide pastures, depending on the level of management you implement and type of operation.
Make pasture grazing plans now while you have time to plan out paddocks, purchase fencing supplies and install new fences before spring turnout.
Benefits abound. When you implement a rotational grazing system, you also improve forage utilization, says Garry Lacefield of the University of Kentucky. Typically about one-third of available forages are grazed in larger pastures. By breaking large pastures into smaller areas, you force cattle to utilize more of the available forage, so you have less waste. (Click Here to Read More…)
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