1. Joe Vendramini Forage Specialist Range Cattle Research and Education Center - Ona FL Grazing management

2. SpeciesProsCons BahiagrassPersistence Low maintenance Production Nutritive value BermudagrassProduction Nutritive Value Wet areas Overgraze Soil fertility StargrassProduction Nutritive Value Cold Overgraze Soil Fertility LimpograssWinter production Nutritive value Overgraze Soil Fertility Warm-season grasses general characteristics

3. Warm-season legumes Perennial peanut Aeschynomene

4. Soil testing

5. Weed Control

6. Species Stargrass Common bermudagrass - Bahiagrass Smutgrass No grass

7. Species pH 6.0 StargrasspH 5.0 Common bermudagrass - Bahiagrass pH 4.5 SmutgrassThe end! No grass Grazing management Fertilization Weed control

8. Production x Nutritive Value Forage Yield Stage of Maturity (Time) High Low

9. Production x Nutritive Value Forage Yield Nutritive Value Stage of Maturity (Time) High Low

10. Forage Nutritive Value Water (~ 80%) Dry Matter (~ 20%)

11. Forage Nutritive Value Water (~ 20%) Dry Matter (~ 80%) Water (~ 65%) Dry matter (~ 35%) Hay Silage

12. Forage Nutritive Value Protein Lipids Sugars Starch Dry MatterPectin Cellulose Hemicellulose Lignin Mineral Vitamins

13. Forage Nutritive Value Protein (CP)%N x 6.25 Dry Matter Energy (TDN)Cell contents Cell wall (Fiber)

14. Forage Nutritive Value Bottom line: CP and TDN

15. Utilization

16. Grazing systems

17. Grazing Two major objectives Optimize forage production and nutritive value Meet livestock requirement

18. Animal specie and grazing habit

19. Nutritional Requirement Beef Cattle DM, TDN, and CP requirements ClassDM (lbs) TDN (%) CP (%) Dry cow mid preg27487 Mature cow 10# milk30569 2 yr old lact cow216311

20. Grazing Stocking rate  Definition: Number of animals units per acre  Animal unit = 1000 lbs liveweight

21. Gain per unit area Gain per animal Overgrazing Optimum Range Undergrazing Stocking Rate

22. Stocking rate affects bull performance Stocking rate (head/acre) ADG (lb/day)Gain/acre (lb/acre) 11.54445 21.17678 30.55488

23. Grazing Stocking rate SR

24. Grazing Never overstock!!! …..Never!

25. Grazing Stubble height

26. Grazing Rotational x Continuous Continuous Rotational

27. Grazing Rotational x Continuous Continuous Rotational

28. Grazing Rotational x Continuous Continuous Rotational

29. Grazing Rotational stocking

30. Summary Select the right forage specie, fertilization, and weed control program The purpose of grazing management is to supply forage to livestock in adequate quantity and quality Stocking rate is the most important decision on grazing management

31. EDIS UF extension publications http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

32. Questions? http://rcrec-ona.ifas.ufl.edu