Getting Started with Rotational Grazing

1. Getting Started with Rotational Grazing Dr. Matt Poore NCSU Dept of Animal Science

2. JAN MAR MAY JUL SEPT NOV KY Bluegrass Orchardgrass Tall Fescue Ladino Clover Red Clover Alfalfa Small Grains Ryegrass Bermudagrass Switchgrass Caucasian Bluestem Sorghum-Sudan Pearl Millet Cool-Season Grasses Legumes Cool-Season Annual Grasses Warm-Season Grasses Warm-Season Annual Grasses Adapted from Controlled Grazing of Virginia’s Pastures, Publication 418-012 Growth Curves for Common Forages

4. How much does hay cost? • NCSU Budgets ---- $122/ton ($88% DM) production/harvest cost cool-season grass hay • 20% storage waste ---- $152/ton • 15% feeding waste ---- $179/ton

5. Spoilage loss of grass hay1 stored for 8 or 14 months in the Appalachian Mountains Turner et al., 2007 1 4 x 5 foot, net wrapped. New Holland 648 baler.

6. Why Do We Need to Focus on Controlled Grazing Management? • Allows you to protect the plant from the animals (allows plants to rest). • Improves health of pasture stands reducing runoff. • Optimizes yield of pasture plants. • Helps to improve manure distribution pattern. • Reduces cost of feeding livestock.

7. Normal Growth Pattern Growth Phases 3 1 2 Time or age Slow growth Rapid growth Slower growth Relative Growth Rate

8. Root development is strongly related to frequency and extent of leaf removal Cut to 2” every week Cut to 2” every 4 weeks

9. Precision Nutrient Map (interpolated from grid samples) showing Phosphorus (manure) distribution Here pigs were Run on the ground Ending 50 yrs ago Historic Winter Feeding Areas Beef Unit Pens & Office

11. How Do You Get Started? • Start with what you have • Cross-fencing • Water development • Use strip-grazing to extend the grazing season • Change your mindset

12. Fencing • Electric fence is almost a necessity • Start with an offset on your perimeter • Get a plenty powerful charger • Set up internal cross-fences based on water sources and common sense • Start with 6 to 8 paddocks and grow as you learn. • Eventually replace temporary with permanent fences

20. Six permanent pads can be temporarily subdivided into 36 (or more) divisions. Farm size does not change the possibilities Polywire Hi-tensile Steel Wire Single cross fence provides access to 12 paddocks 6 cross fences = 2.7% of farm 4 cross fences provide access to 1/24 of farm 3 cross fences provide access to 18 paddocks Six permanent subdivisions provide a 6 pad rotation

22. Priority Subdivision Based on landscape

23. Further Subdivision 9 Paddocks

24. Further Subdivision 15 Paddocks

25. Water location Water tanks

26. CEFS Beef Unit, Summer 2005 Regular Sorghum-Sudan MaxQ Fescue Brown Midrib Sorghum-Sudan Working Pens Disked and smoothed for crabgrass

27. Stockpiled Fescue

30. Why Do You Have Cattle? OR FUN OR MONEY? GEOFF BENSON, ARE, NCSU

32. Drought Management PlanShort-term drought • Use an appropriate stocking rate • Use controlled rotational grazing • Improve water distribution • Maintain soil fertility • Establish warm-season forages • Maintain an emergency feed supply • Develop sacrifice areas • Pull cows and feed when pastures are not growing

33. Drought Management PlanSevere drought • Develop a culling plan • a step beyond normal culling • have several "ranked priority" groups • Identify an emergency feed supply • will vary with the specific drought • may be hay, concentrates or crop residues • Calculate a careful feed budget

34. Drought Management PlanDrought Recovery • Maintain a reduced stocking rate • Graze pastures lightly. Don't take them as short as you would in a "normal" year • Renovate pastures • Scout pastures • Take care of weed problems early • Encourage warm-season grasses if present • Establish improved forage varieties • Reflect and revise your plan

37. Cotton gin trash packaged in modules makes a good hay substitute for dry cows. When fed for 45 days, dry pregnant cows fed limited hay and CGT performed the same as cows fed hay free-choice, with a savings of about $25/head

39. Cows grazing crabgrass pasture