Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
stocked, they eat what they like the most and ignore the “fl avors” they don't
like. Some plants are constantly being grazed, whereas others aren't touched.
Interestingly, the result of both overgrazing and undergrazing is the same: the
plants lose energy and don't perform at their peak potential. Ultimately, both
scenarios can kill the plants.
Managed Grazing
By using managed grazing (which you may also see referred to as
rotational
grazing, management-intensive grazing,
or
planned grazing
), you control the
fl ock's access and grazing time, thereby obtaining peak plant performance;
this, in turn, results in peak animal performance. The trick to this is to sub-
divide your pasture into smaller pieces, known as
paddocks,
and to time
your fl ock's movements through the paddocks according to how the grass is
growing.
Managed grazing is a complex skill that takes time to master, but the pay-
off is well worth the effort. Finding a mentor who uses managed grazing —
even if it's a cattle grazier — will hasten the learning process. Many states
now have organized grazing groups, which your county Extension agent can
help you fi nd. The local offi ce of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service can also be a valuable place to learn about managed grazing, and it
may be able to help provide cost-share funding for installing needed fencing
and watering systems.
Some forage plants, such as alfalfa, can't stand the pressure of the con-
tinuous grazing that occurs in a set-stocked pasture, but they can survive
THE ADVANTAGE OF PADDOCKS
Sheep graze smaller paddocks more evenly and have less tendency
to pick and choose than they would in one larger pasture. When the
area has been adequately grazed, the sheep are moved to a fresh
paddock. When you move the sheep out of a paddock, the grass
will receive the rest it needs to keep growing at its fastest growth
rate. If the rest period is adequate — usually at least 28 days —
the sheep are not forced to eat as close to the ground, because
the forage is at a better height, thus reducing the parasite eggs
they pick up while grazing. An old Scottish shepherd's saying goes,
“Never let the church bell strike thrice on the same pasture.”
