IMPROVE GRAZING MANAGEMENT TO INCREASE FORAGE USE

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IMPROVEGRAZINGMANAGEMENTTOINCREASEFORAGEUSEEFFICIENCY

September2009GeorgiaCattleman

DennisHancock,ForageExtensionSpecialist

TheUniversityofGeorgia

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ThelargestexpenseformostcattleoperationsintheSoutheastisthecostassociatedwithproducingforage.The

key to managing these costs is making sure that the operation is using the forage that is produced as efficiently as

possible. The single most important factor affecting the cost‐effectiveness of

the forage enterprise is grazing

management.Inthismonth’sarticle,we’llexaminesomeofthewaysthatgoodgrazingmanagementcandramatically

improveefficiency.

ManagedGrazingImprovesEfficiency

Takeamomenttothinkabouthowmuchoftheforagethatyougrowwillactuallymakeitintothemouthofthe

animal.Ofthetotalforagethat isproduced,whatpercentagedoyour animalsactuallyuse?Thispercentageisreferred

toasforageuseefficiency.

Thefirststepin

gettingmoreoutofyourforage

is to exercise more control over the animal’s grazing

behavior.Ifcattleareallowedtofreelygrazeoneortwo

large pastures (i.e., “continuous stocking”), they will

select certain areas, avoid other areas, and ultimately

create a scenario where relatively little of the forage

is

actuallyconsumed(Table1).Thekeyistorationoutthe

forage.Rotationalstockingrequiresthecattlemantoput

animals in and take animals out of a  pasture in a

relatively short amount of time. Simply  splitting large

pasturesintoseveralsmallerpastures(orpaddocks)and

regularly rotating the animals

 between them can

dramaticallyincreasetheefficiencyoftheforagesystem.

Producers who allot daily strips for their cattle (strip or

frontal grazing) can increase their efficiency even more,

often rivaling ourmost efficient mechanical methodsof

harvesting.

Becauseofthisincreaseinefficiency,itispossibletoincrease

the

stocking rate and carrying capacity of the land. Stocking rate

increases of 35‐60% have been reported in the scientific literature

(Table 2). As a general rule, however, stocking rates should only be

increased by 10‐25% during the first few years of transitioning from

continuous stocking to moderately‐intensive grazing

 management

scheme (rotating every2‐4days). This willallowthe pastures andthe

foragemanager’sskillstoimprove.Inthemeantime,anyexcessforage

productioncanbeharvestedashayormowedandreturnedtothesoil.

TheTrade‐Off

Itisimportanttonote,however,thatintensively‐managedgrazingisunlikelytoimprovetheperformance(i.e.,

gain, lactation, etc.) of individual animals. Forcing the grazing animal to consume forage to a predetermined height

eliminatestheirabilitytoselectivelygraze,sometimesreducingindividualanimalperforman ce(e.g.,averagedailygain).

This is

 particularlyimportant when animals with high nutrient requirements like stocker cattle or replacement heifers

arerotationallygrazedonrelativelylow‐qualityforages,such asbermudagrassorbahiagrass.Thoughindividualanimal

Table 1. The range in forage use efficiency of selected

grazingandmechanicalharvestingmethods.

Method Efficiency*

Grazing

Continuous Stocking 30-40%

Slow Rotation (3-4 paddocks) 50-60%

Moderate Rotation (6-8 paddocks) 60-70%

Strip or Frontal Grazing 70-80%

Mechanical

Hay 30-70%

Silage 60-85%

Green Chop 70-95%

*Efficiency is defined here as the relative amount of forage

production (or that couldbeproduced) that will actuallybe

consumedbytheanimal.

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Table 2. Increase in gain per acre in

rotational compared to continuous grazing

instudiesfromvarioussouthernstates.

State % Increase

Arkansas 44

Georgia 37

Oklahoma 35

Virginia 61

performance is reduced, remember that it is the increase in stocking rate that results in higher gain per acre. For

producersgrazinganimalswithlowernutrientrequirements,likematurecows,thiscanbeagreatadvantage.Inathree

year study conducted in central Georgia, rotational stocking improved cow‐calf stocking

 rate by about 38% and

improvedcalfproductionperacreby37%.Individualcoworcalfperformancewasnotaffectedinthisstudy(Table3).

Table 3. Effects of rotational stocking on performance of beef cattle

grazingbermudagrassandendophyte‐freetallfescueincentralGeorgia.

Item Continuous Rotational

Difference*

Cow weight at calving, lbs 1037 1017 NS

Cow weight at weaning, lbs

1090 1071 NS

Stocking rate, cows/acre 0.50 0.69 +38%

Pregnancy rate, % 93 95 NS

Weaning weight, lb 490 486 NS

Calf production, lb/ac 243 334 +37%

 NS=notstatisticallysignificant

DesigningaGrazingSystemforYourFarm

Coveringalltheaspectsof  settingupandimplementinganefficientgrazingsystemis beyondthescopeofthis

article. However,there are a number ofresources availableto youthat canhelp youdesign asystem thatis rightfor

yourfarm.

The best way to get started in designing

 a grazing system is to attend a Gr azing School. The 2009 Georgia

Grazing School is scheduled for September 22‐23 and will be held in Athens at the Livestock Instructional Arena. This

training is specifically geared toward  producers who are interesting in improving the efficiency of their pasture and

grazing

systems. Participation is capped at 35participants to ensurethat everyone is given individualized service. The

training is centered around a classroom environment, but this is complemented by several hands‐on demonstrations

and farm visits. More information on the Georgia Grazing School is available on the Georgia Forages website

(www.georgiaforages.com

).

Thereisalsoalargenumberofwebsites,publications,andbooksthatprovidespecificsonhowtosetupmore

intensively managed grazing systems. The UGA’s Management‐intensive Grazing website

(http://www.caes.uga.edu/topics/sustainag/grazing/index.html

) is a good starting point and serves as a clearinghouse

formoreinformationonthissubject.Ofcourse,yourlocalUniversityofGeorgiaCooperativeExtensionAgent can also

provide you with additional information about how to design an efficient grazing system, as well as helping you to

GrazingSchool.Ifyouhavequestionsabouttheseissues,contactyourlocalExtensionofficebydialing1‐

800‐ASK‐UGA1.