If you are coming from a background that uses continuous grazing systems, you might wonder, “What is rotational grazing?” and “Why are ranchers using a rotational grazing system?”  Here is your guide on rotational grazing.​ 

If you have low quality pasture with weeds or large bare spots, then rotational grazing is for you. The upfront time and money may seem overwhelming but it will save you a lot in the future. Rotational grazing is an long-term investment. 

What is Rotational Grazing?

Rotational grazing is a system where a rancher will use management practices of moving grazing animals through different paddocks of pasture. Quite simply, it is just pasture rotation. However, there is more to it than that and each ranch is going to look different based on each individual paddock’s length of grazing, plant diversity, drought conditions, the number of animals, and so much more. 

Imagine the way the bison used to graze before the midwest became populated with so many people. Rotational grazing mimics the way the bison moved. A bunch of bison would eat one area and move onto the next. They wouldn’t come back to the grass that was already grazed for a long amount of time, which allows the grasses to have a rest period and grow back. 

Benefits of Rotational Grazing

The benefits of rotational grazing are numerous. However, despite so many benefits of rotational grazing, many ranchers still have yet to begin these rotational systems. 

• Prolonged grazing season
• Reduction in hay feeding days
• Reduction in operational expenses
• Increase in stocking rate
• Decreases soil erosion
• Weed reduction
• Strengthens root systems of plants
• Increased plant diversity 
• Increased pasture resiliency, allowing grazing during droughts
• Reduction in water runoff 
• Improved water sources
• Better distribution of manure nutrients throughout the pasture

There are probably many more benefits to rotational grazing. Check out some of these articles for more in depth information.

• Range 101: Efficiencies of Rotational Grazing  by the South Dakota Grassland Coalition 
• Management-Intensive Grazing Project:Rotational Grazing Reduces Erosion,Increases Profits by the EPA

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission with no extra cost to you. Read more about it here.

How to Get Started 

In order to see the benefits of a rotation grazing system, one must first gain knowledge on how to implement and monitor an effective rotation. Without this knowledge, there could be negative repercussions involving forage production or animal performance. There are many places to learn pasture management. Starting out slowly is a good way to get experience.

1898 Ranch is a South Dakota rancher family that started out using 2 large paddocks. Over the last 5 years, we have slowly implemented more intensive rotational grazing systems every year. With each year, each paddock (typically) turns into smaller paddocks and gets a longer recovery period. The intensity of grazing is dependent on our management plans which change based on the amount of moisture we receive, the pasture growth, the paddock size, and where water is located for the livestock. We can achieve this by making a new paddock using temporary fencing inside our permanent fencing. Allowing small changes every year and slowly learning has been the best decision we have made. 

To watch videos on how we improve our rotational grazing system every year, follow on the 1898 Ranch Youtube Page.

Additional information can be found by getting ahold of the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), South Dakota State University Extension, SDGC (South Dakota Grassland Coalition), or your particular state’s extension office. Attending a grazing school and/or finding a mentor is the best way to get some hands on learning. 

Additional Resources: Rotational Grazing Books

• Management-intensive Grazing: The Grassroots of Grass Farming by Jim Gerrish
• Quality Pasture by Allen Nation 
• Capturing Sunlight by Woody Lane

How Does Rotational Grazing Work?

Understanding growth rate of plant species and grass growth is possibly the most important thing to learn. Management techniques include knowing how much forage to leave and when the livestock needs to be moved, especially with cool-season grasses, as they don’t grow back as well as warm-season grasses. Through fencing, a rancher can force livestock to eat every part of the pasture, reducing selective grazing. 

In spring, when grass comes out of dormancy, it can take some time to get enough leaf area to capture enough solar energy to promote plant growth. This is the grass cattle prefer as it is tender and high in nutrition. Left in large pastures, the cattle will keep going back to the portion of pasture that has this type of grass, not allowing that grass to get deeper roots growing. Move livestock to the next paddock before they have a chance to come back and bite that same plant twice. There is no hard and fast answer on when this is as it all depends on your personal environment. Hence, learning and experience will take a little time. 

​This is just a very basic explanation on how rotational grazing works. There are different ways to graze rotationally, such as mob grazing, and there are different management strategies to use. Learning which direction you will go is something that you need to discover. 

​Save this post for Later