Adapted grazing

Adapted grazing

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
During a Cattlemen's College held some time ago at the Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn. attendees learned about grazing practices on rangeland in the western U.S. Many cattle operations utilize adaptive grazing management to optimize forage consumption.

A Director of Marketing, Research and Development and Nutritions Services says blocks provide many flexible options to bring supplemental nutrition to your herd. He shares an interesting possible additional benefit to using nutrition blocks in your pastures and rangeland.

"Recent research has indicated that there are opportunities with supplemental feeds that can be strategically located around your pastures to improve the forage utilization. Where cattle will actually graze around a 600-yard radius and improve the utilization of that forage by 15 percent in those areas. By doing that you can actually make use of your entire forage resource that you have secured whether it is purchased or leased land. You are able to utilize that forage base at that time by the use of supplemental nutrients."

Adapted grazing principles include:

• Having a grazing plan

• Utilizing stocking rates and stocking density

• Setting grazing periods

• Residual forage grazing

• Implementing rest periods

• Rotational grazing

• Observing and monitoring forage

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