Are you a competitive grazier? By that I mean, do you measure your success against other folks by how often you move your animals and the more moves you do, the better you must be?
That may not be the best way to measure your success, and it could be a good way to burn out. So here’s a collection of articles that might help us all control our competitive streak so we get the lives and results we want.
First, James Matthew Craighead reminds us that building soil health doesn’t require daily moves, and he gives us some pretty good advice.
John Marble adds to the story, taking a look at other things we might consider when deciding how often to move animals – like lifestyle and economics.
How often you move also depends on how fast your grass grows and how much forage you’re hoping to grow over the grazing season. The U.S. Dairy Forage Research question gives us some data to add to our “how often to move” equation.
You might want to consider your trample to graze ratio, how different pastures respond to grazing, and what your livestock look like.
Finally, recent research indicates that there are some places that might not be amenable to adaptive, multi-paddock grazing. I covered this in a series of stories about research at the Central Plains Experimental Range, a semi-arid ecosystem that receives 10 to 20 inches of precipitation annually. Their research noted that animals gained less weight in rotational grazing systems, and that forage production of cool-season grasses was not improved. You can read all the stories here, or take a look at their Adaptive, Multi-Paddock grazing research results below. Their work points out once again, that sometimes what we know to be true might not work in all places. Their primary take-home:
Stocking rate is the major driver behind how many plants are regrazed, NOT the grazing system.
Adaptive, Multi-Paddock Grazing May Not Be Better Than Continuous Grazing
Last but not least…the funnies!
Should you use dynamite to get rid of a dead, beached whale that’s stinking up the place? The answer, as with most research, is “It depends,” with a reminder to take proper precautions.
