What is paddock grazing

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This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Update Success! It looks like you're browsing in private mode. Darren Carty on 23 Apr Darren Carty. A rotational grazing system will help maximise grass growth.

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Select from all collections Please Select. This provides rest periods for plants while others are being grazed. Once all the paddocks have been grazed, the sequence restarts with the first pasture that has been rested the longest being grazed. If done correctly, rotational grazing has many benefits including increased forage production, animal performance, and overall profitability.

Rotational grazing allows plants to remain healthy by renewing energy reserves, rebuilding plant vigor, and giving long-term maximum production. Manure nutrients are more evenly distributed across the field as well. An example of rotational grazing is shown in Figure 2. Strip Grazing — This technique involves utilizing a movable, electric fence to allot enough forage for a short time period and then moving the fence forward providing a new allocation of forage.

Typically no back fencing is used in this method, and thus grazing should start in the area nearest to the water source to reduce waste due to trampling. Strip grazing can increase utilization and decrease animal selectivity. This method is often used when grazing stockpiled forages and annual forages. It can also be utilized during certain times of the year when grazing specific forage species like alfalfa in the late fall when resting the forage is not an issue.

This method can be used in combination with rotational grazing. Fields can be strip grazed for example with dairy cows which are moved twice daily to be milked. Once grazed, cows are moved to the next field which is strip grazed while the previous area is rested. An example of Strip Grazing is shown in Figure 3. Mob Grazing , also known as ultra-high density grazing — Mob grazing involves grazing a large concentration of livestock in a small area for a short duration.

With stocking densities between , to , lbs or more of body weight per acre, animals are usually moved several times per day. Over the years, the amount of cheat grass has decreased. The ability to control paddock size can strongly encourage your sheep or cattle to eat the less desirable plants at the times you need them to. Extending the grazing season by limit feeding dry ewes or early gestation ewes.

Dry ewes will eat much more forage than they need to maintain body condition or to get back into breeding condition. Controlling paddock size will decrease the amount of hay you buy or allow you to reserve more forage for the weaned lambs that are growing to market size and need much more nutrition.

Saving the best forage for the class of sheep that needs it the most. Newly weaned lambs could be put on the best forage. A few weeks later, dry ewes can be grazed on the same grass that has had the best forage removed by the growing lambs.

Seasonal paddocks. Many forages are cool season or warm season. Some plants tolerate freezing and other plants have little grazing value after frosts in the fall. With controlled grazing, paddocks can be developed for seasonal grazing, whereas this is much harder with a single larger pasture.

Grazing animals can be used to help prep areas for reseeding. Certain types of grass and clover seeds can be successfully broadcast on top of the ground without tilling the seeds into the soil. A grass manager can use a group of sheep to slightly overgraze an area to expose a little soil and cut down on the grass cover.

Then more of the broadcast seeds fall on bare soil and are more likely to germinate. If the sheep are kept on the area with the broadcast for a day or two, their hooves can be used to help press the seed into contact with the soil. This is best done just prior to a rain. Limit feeding during times of drought. During a drought, a livestock manager can control the amount of grazing and prevent a flock from eating all of the forage up, before the rains come.

With adequate fencing and the ability to manipulate size of paddock with portable electric fencing, a shepherd can postpone buying hay for a few days or weeks and save funds. Of course, certain animals such as late gestation ewes or newly weaned lambs probably will need that extra forage and cannot be limit fed. Improved animal management. Sheep and cattle that are regularly rotated to new pastures every few days in low stress procedures are much easier to manage.

Open a gate and call is often all that you need to do to get the sheep or cattle to follow you to the next pasture or to the working corrals. Paddock size will vary depending on pasture productivity and the lay of the land. Paddocks should follow the contour of the land to prevent issues from erosion. However, because Pennsylvania fields are not flat, we can expect paddocks to take on various shapes and sizes.

So, we need to take into account not only the lay of the land, but also access to water sources and alleys to move livestock back to handling facilities or buildings. Follow the contour of the land when making subdivisions so animals walk along a hill rather than up and down a hill to watering systems.