Introduction to Management-intensive Grazing

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1 Introduction to Management-intensive Grazing Mark Green NRCS District Conservationist Springfield, Missouri Missouri Grazing Schools Program Natural Resources Conservation Service University of Missouri Department of Natural Resources Missouri Forage and Grasslands Council

2 Why Management-intensive Grazing? Cows intensively graze by nature, only you can intensively manage

3 Why Management-intensive Grazing? We place emphasis on the word MANAGEMENT when we speak of management-intensive grazing (MiG) to make it clear that it is the management aspect of the system that is being intensified, not simply the grazing

4 What is Management-intensive Grazing? A goal driven approach to managing grassland resources for long term sustainability

5 What is Management-intensive Grazing? (cont.) A goal driven approach to managing grassland resources Lifestyle Financial Resource condition Production strategies

6 Fundamentals of Successful Grazing Management Meet the nutritional needs of the livestock from standing pasture

7 Relative Cost of Supplying a Unit of Energy to Ruminants Pasture 100

8 Relative Cost of Supplying a Unit of Energy to Ruminants (cont.) Pasture 100 Alfalfa hay 152 Timothy hay 161 All types of hay 162 USDA & AgCanada data

9 Relative Cost of Supplying a Unit of Energy to Ruminants (cont.) Pasture 100 Corn silage 195 Dehydrated forage 320 Grains 457 USDA & AgCanada data

10 Some Useful Definitions Stocking rate: The number of animals or animal liveweight assigned to a grazing unit on a seasonal basis. Carrying capacity: The stocking rate that provides a target level of performance while maintaining the integrity of the resource base. Stocking rate has an effect on intake and availability.

11 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors Carrying Capacity = Forage Production Daily Intake X X Seasonal Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Season

12 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Annual forage production Plant species/diversity Fertilization Soils/suitability Pasture condition/health Complementary forage systems Weather

13 Annual Forage Production

14 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Carrying Capacity = Forage Production Daily Intake X X Seasonal Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Season

15 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Seasonal utilization rate Length of grazing period and frequency of grazing Duration of the grazing season Type of livestock Water location Single livestock species vs. multiple species

16 Grazing Period Length Affects Utilization

17 Figure 1. Impact of distance from water on temporal utilization rate in rectangular 10 acre paddocks. Temporal utilization rate (%) Distance from water (ft) Rectangular paddock R-square=

18 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Carrying Capacity = Forage Production Daily Intake X X Seasonal Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Season

19 Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Livestock from Pasture 3 Key Factors Intake! Intake! Intake! 75% forage availability : 25% forage quality Time spent grazing Biting rate Bite size

20 Effect of forage availability on relative dry matter intake of cattle and sheep Relative Intake Forage Availability C attle intake Sheep intake

21 The Yield - Quality Compromise Protein/energy Availability Fiber/lignin Optimum grazing

22 Forage Quality Pumpkin Pies or Wedding Cakes?

23 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Carrying Capacity = Forage Production Daily Intake X X Seasonal Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Season

24 Carrying capacity of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Length of the grazing season For cow-calf, think 365 days Grass-based dairy days Short-season stockers offer more flexibility Balance quantity with quality

25 Fundamentals of Successful Grazing Management Meet the nutritional needs of the livestock from standing pasture Optimize pasture yield, quality, and persistence

26 HOW GRASS GROWS 95% of plant food is taken from the Air Leaves are Food Factories 5% of plant food is taken from the soil Roots gather raw materials (water, nitrates, minerals) which are converted into plant food by the leaves OVERGRAZING WILL DESTROY BOTH THE LEAVES AND THE ROOTS!

27 Photosynthesis

28 Corresponding Root Growth % Leaf Removed % Root Growth Stopped to

29 The Root System is Almost a Mirror Image of the Top Growth Short, weak plants mean short, weak roots

30

31 Plant Growth and Management: Plant Persistence During grazing periods: control stubble height not too low keep growing points not too low good photosynthesis not too low keep roots growing Between grazing periods: schedule rest periods allow photosynthesis allow leaves to regrow allow vegetative reproduction (spreading plants)

32 Fundamentals of Successful Grazing Management Meet the nutritional needs of the livestock from standing pasture Optimize pasture yield, quality, and persistence Maintain or enhance the natural resource base

33 Fundamentals of Successful Grazing Management (cont.) Maintain or enhance the natural resource base Soils Water Plant community Wildlife habitat

34 Infiltration and Runoff 3 inches of rainfall in 90 minutes, 10% slope, silt loam soil (University of Nebraska & USDA-SCS, 1937) Excellent pasture 95% ground cover Fair pasture 75% ground cover Poor pasture 50% ground cover Soil loss (tons/a) Percent runoff

35 Fundamentals of Successful Grazing Management (cont.) Meet the nutritional needs of the livestock from standing pasture Optimize pasture yield, quality, and persistence Maintain or enhance the natural resource base Integrate appropriate technology and knowledge into a practical/profitable system

36 Integrate appropriate technology and knowledge into a practical/profitable system Not only fence and water but.a management system Plant species/plant health Soil health/fertility Nutrient management Livestock nutrition/supplementation Genetics Herd health Marketing Use the tools that work for your operation

37 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy

38 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy (cont.) Only green, growing leaves capture solar energy, and make cattle feed.

39 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy (cont.) Grow more leaves through Proper stocking rate

40 Some Useful Definitions Stocking rate: The number of animals or animal liveweight assigned to a grazing unit on a seasonal basis. Stock density: The number of animals or animal liveweight assigned to a specific pasture area for a specific time period.

41 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors Stock Density = Forage Availability Daily Intake X X Grazing Period Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Period

42 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Available forage How much forage is available on this acre this day Can be estimated from height If too little, intake will be restricted If too much, quality may be low

43 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Stock Density = Forage Availability Daily Intake X X Grazing Period Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Period

44 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Temporal utilization rate Take half, leave half Utilization greater than 50% stops root growth Length of grazing period is critical factor As utilization increases, intake decreases

45 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Stock Density = Forage Availability Daily Intake X X Grazing Period Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Period

46 Daily Forage Intake Rate (% of body weight): Dry Cow 2-2.5% Lactating Cow 3-4% Dairy Cow % + grain Stockers % Sheep 3.5-4% Horse 2.5-4%

47 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Stock Density = Forage Availability Daily Intake X X Grazing Period Utilization Rate Length of the Grazing Period

48 Stock density of pasture is determined by four factors (cont.) Length of the grazing period How long the animals will be in one paddock before being moved Stock density increases with shorter grazing periods Utilization increases with increased stock density and shorter grazing periods Selectivity and spot grazing is reduced with higher stock densities

49 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Solar energy Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Only green, growing leaves capture solar energy, and make cattle feed. Grow more leaves through: Proper stocking rate Species diversity

50 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Solar energy Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat (cont.) Only green, growing leaves capture solar energy, and make cattle feed. Grow more leaves through: Proper stocking rate Species diversity Rest period

51 How much rest do additional paddocks provide? % Rest Number of paddocks

52 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat (cont.) Solar energy Water Water for the pasture

53 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy Water Water for the pasture Water for the livestock

54 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy (cont.) Water Soil nutrients

55 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy (cont.) Water Soil nutrients Something bought in town?

56 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy (cont.) Water Soil nutrients Something bought in town, or an on-farm resource?

57 Basic Ingredients for Making Beef, Milk, Wool, Lamb, Goat Solar energy (cont.) Water Soil nutrients One harvester(grazing animal)

58 FLEXIBILITY

59 Quote: Animals delight most to feed on fresh plants Animals supplied with this kind of food would be quickly fatted If a farmer divided his land into equal divisions, Stopped his beasts from roaming indiscriminately

60 Quote cont d: Put the whole number of his beasts into one of these divisions Have the number of beasts so great as to consume the best part of the grass in one day Give them a fresh park every morning to repeat the same repast

61 Quote cont d: Have so many parks as days required to advance the grass to the proper length after being eaten fare down So the first park would be ready to receive them after going over all the others So they might be carried round in a constant rotation James Anderson, a Scotsman, 1777

62 Summary Management-intensive Grazing: A method of utilizing the forage resource to maximize return, while maintaining the productivity of the resource base for the long term Aims at managing the soil, water, plants and animals together as a whole in a systems approach You - the manager are in control of time and space

63 Our goal throughout this school is to encourage producers to adopt management strategies that optimize the efficient harvest of sunlight and water and enhance the soil resource rather than rely on technological fixes to support production goals.