Grazing Management

Rotational grazing is the most commonly used sustainable grazing technique due to the benefits it has on the health and productivity of pastureland.

Unlike continuous grazing, rotational grazing involves a more managed approach whereby livestock are periodically between these paddocks. This gives the pasture’s grasses and vegetation enough time to recover and regrow before animals graze them again. So, the smaller the paddocks, the more the time between two consecutive grazes, and the healthier the pasture.

1. Simple Rotational grazing:
   Simple rotational grazing refers to a grazed land that includes a few paddocks, e.g. 4 segments. Animals are allowed to graze in rotation on one pasture at a time in order to give the grass time to recover in between grazes.

   

2. Intensive Rotational grazing:
   Intensive rotational grazing is when the pasture is divided into smaller pastures, e.g. ~16 paddocks. Animals are allowed to graze  on one paddock  for a short period of time, and rotations happen frequently in order to maximize forage regrowth. This results in less soil erosion and builds a higher quality and greater output of grasses. The resulting grasslands are much healthier, as one paddock is fully grazed by livestock while the grass in the other paddocks is left to regrow fully.

   

Similar to Silvopasture, this traditional farming practice involves the production of crops and the raising of livestock on the same plot of agricultural land. Livestock are allowed to graze on cover crops either between the rows of cash crops or during off-season and colder months. These systems are beneficial in returning carbon to the soil in the form of manure, in turn maintaining healthy soils for crop growth. This technique can be applied to more agricultural landscapes in the case that pastureland is not available or limited.

• Funding: Farmers will need to have adequate labour and funds available to maintain this intervention. Fences will need to be constructed between each paddock, thus maintenance costs for this fencing may entail a larger investment over time.
• Paddocks’ properties: Paddocks should be large and rich enough to host and feed the entirety of the herd for at least a few days.
• Natural conditions: Access to water and shade must be provided in each paddock through either natural or irrigated sources.

Material required

• Fencing material (e.g. wire, hooks, wooden posts)
• Gate
• Watering facilities (e.g. pipes + basins, water tanks, ponds or any natural water source)

Steps of implementation

There are no strict rules for building a rotational grazing system. The optimal number and size of paddocks will differ per farmer based on their needs and the size of their farm, as well as the resources they have available. Upfront labour and upkeep costs to fix fence damage are needed due to the large amount of fencing that will need to be erected to create paddocks.

1. It recommended to start by dividing a pasture in two and continue dividing during the subsequent seasons if benefits are observed from doing so. 
2. A cheap way to experiment with building rotational grazing systems is to use temporary fencing materials and portable watering solutions in order to be able to change the set-up according to what works best. It may take several seasons and multiple tries to land on the most useful arrangement.
   

Considerations for application

Ecological Advantages:

• In the long run, the increased nutritional value of the pasture can lead to healthier livestock, thus fewer trips to a veterinarian.
• Reduced impact/costs of water logging, runoff and flood damage - from larger surface uptake by less grazed grasslands.

Socioeconomic Advantages:

• Reduced need for additional feed and winter housing for the livestock due to an extended grazing season and better-maintained grass and fodder in grazing-protected paddocks.
• Less time and resources are needed for the maintenance of pastures as livestock maintain the paddocks themselves in a more controlled manner and overgrazing is controlled. This also helps to reduce the mechanical inputs and physical labor.

The cornerstone of grazing management is to consider both time and timing:

• Time includes decisions regarding the amount of time that the livestock will graze on the pasture vs. the duration of time the pasture will be let to rest before the animals return. 
• Timing refers to the period during which the vegetation the livestock graze on will grow.
• Recovery time: Different climates and pastures will need different amounts of time to recover from grazing. The table below shows how many days different vegetation needs to recover from livestock grazing:

(Source)

This intervention contributes to:

Estimated costs and benefits of implementing this intervention:

1. Ecograze paddock system, Australia

Description
Ecograze is an environmentally friendly grazing system used in the semi-arid plains of north-eastern Australia, specifically in open eucalypt woodlands that cover around 15 million hectares and support about a million cattle. This system focuses on rotating livestock and allowing pastures to rest during the wet season to maintain healthy and productive land. The land is divided into three paddocks with two herds rotating among them, and each paddock gets to rest during the wet season for two years out of every three. This rest period is split into two phases: an early wet season rest lasting 6-8 weeks after the first rains in November/December, and a late wet season rest lasting until March/April, aiding grass recovery and seed setting. Paddocks are equipped with extra water points, troughs, and sometimes pumps. Ecograze helps maintain a healthy balance of native grasses essential for cattle and the environment, ensures cattle have access to nutritious forage, and provides economic returns within a few years. However, it requires careful timing and flexibility to adjust management practices based on changing conditions. Introduced through research by Meat and Livestock Australia, Ecograze has been applied over an area of about 10-100 square kilometres in northeastern Queensland, with each farm implementing the system over a subdivided paddock of around 10 square kilometres.

2. Community Grazing Management, Namibia 

Description
In Namibia, community members have agreed to manage their communal grazing areas together by combining their livestock into a single herd. This approach, supported by an NGO, government ministries, the National Farmers Union, traditional authorities, and local governments, aims to regenerate rangeland productivity. Livestock owners learn about the damage caused by continuous grazing and the benefits of planned grazing, which involves rotating the herd according to a seasonal plan that allows perennial grasses to recover. The community collectively maps the grazing area, appoints herders, and agrees on a grazing plan endorsed by local authorities. This system was first implemented in Erora in 2006, leading to noticeable improvements in grass density and soil cover within a few years. However, a severe drought from 2011 to 2016 interrupted the planned grazing, but efforts continued to manage the land and support the livestock. The approach has since expanded to other villages, demonstrating its potential to support livelihoods and improve the quality of life through sustainable land management practices.

External sources 

• For more on integrated crop-livestock systems, please click here.

Guides

• Guide to rotation grazing management