Charles Brummer UGA Forage Breeding Grazing Systems Charles Brummer UGA Forage Breeding

Wellington Cricket Ground Do your pastures have more grass growth than this?

Components of a Grazing System Soil Grazing Method Management techniques to achieve your objective Forage Plants Grazing Animal Production Characteristics

Similar to frontal grazing Grazing Methods I Southern Forages, 4th Ed. Similar to frontal grazing

First – last grazing Leader – follower grazing Grazing Methods II Southern Forages, 4th Ed. First – last grazing Leader – follower grazing

Continuous Stocking Overgrazed and undergrazed – poor forage utilization Forages do not persist - weeds encroach Herbicides to control weeds also kill clover No legume benefits of added N and limited fescue toxicity

It’s ALL about the grass Graze Begin regrowth Roots die back Graze again Roots die back even more; plants die Rest period – roots/shoots recover Rational Grazing = Rotational stocking Increases forage productivity Decreases drought impacts and weed encroachment

1 2 3 Divide large areas into at least several paddocks Hill country sheep pasture, New Zealand

Rotational Stocking Georgia Grazing Dairy

Fencing options provide flexibility to your grazing program Permanent fences for boundaries and major divisions Step-in electric fence for temporary divisions

Many designs are possible Individual paddocks with water and permanently fenced Center lane covered in gravel leads to parlor

Sequential grazing with another species – chicory

Pasture subdivision is just Step 1 Rational grazing is not just about subdividing a pasture into smaller sections.

Rotation timing—Step 2 Voisin, 1959

Optimum Rest Period Varies

Be Flexible! 1. Allow enough time for pasture plants to regrow adequately -Enables plants to restore energy reserves for regrowth -Results in better yield -Varies depending on time of year, species, water availability, fertility, temperature

Be Flexible! 2. Prevent forage from getting too mature

Continuous vs. rotational (4 paddock) stocking Variable Continuous Rotational % change Stocking rate (cow-calf/A) 0.50 0.68 +36 Calf weaning wt 502 Calf gain / Acre 251 342 Pregnancy % 94 93 Hay fed (lb/cow) 2390 1690 -29 Endophyte-free tall fescue and common bermudagrass mixed grass pastures at Central Georgia Branch Station, Eatonton, Ga., 3-year average.

Improve Your Efficiency Method Efficiency Grazing Continuous Stocking 30-40% Slow Rotation (3-4 paddocks) 50-60% Moderate Rotation (6-8 paddocks) 60-70% Well-managed MIG 70-80% Mechanical Hay 30-70% Silage 60-85% Green Chop 70-95%

Benefits of Rational Grazing 1. Better utilization of forage 2. Higher yield of forage 3. Higher stocking rates 4. Better animal gains/milk production per acre 5. Better persistence of seeded forages 6. Less weed invasion 7. Better manure distribution

Alternatives

Strip Grazing A Simple Rational Grazing Plan Voisin, Grass Productivity, 1959

Strip Grazing Brassicas in New Zealand Increase utilization of forage by limiting trampling

Creep grazing for young calves Give calves access to high quality pasture (alfalfa) while cows graze lower quality pasture (bermudagrass)

Leader/follower grazing Graze animals needing higher quality forage first e.g., stockers, lactating cows Bring other animals with lower nutritional needs to clean up each paddock e.g., mature cows, open heifers

Mixed Animal Species Grazing

Toward a “no hay” grazing system $

Growth curves of various forages

Stockpile forage for autumn use Save as stockpiled forage (“standing hay”) Then strip graze to avoid trampling losses “Buffer Grazing”

Tall fescue and bermudagrass pastures North Georgia – Piedmont Fescue provides forage when bermudagrass is dormant Bermudagrass is dormant in autumn/winter

Complementary “seasonal” pastures Bermudagrass + overseeded ryegrass Bermudagrass + overseeded ryegrass Fescue + white clover Fescue + white clover Spring and Autumn Summer and Winter Bermudagrass + overseeded ryegrass Bermudagrass + overseeded ryegrass Fescue + white clover Fescue + white clover

Summary Divide paddocks to rest your grass Pay attention to the rotation time and be flexible in your management Use stockpiled forage for periods of low production Use complementary species to maximize pasture and minimize stored feed needs