As cattle producers prepare to face a year full of issues like drought and tighter margins, they need to use every resource they can to make things even a little bit easier. Grazing management can go a long way to help with that, especially when it comes to rotational grazing. Margaret Chamas, livestock viability manager with Practical Farmers of Iowa, said higher efficiency and greater soil health are some of the biggest reasons to use rotational grazing.
Chamas said that rotating your cattle will allow the plants to grow back in a more palatable way next time they come around, and it can even help cattle to avoid issues from pests like flies.
Rotational grazing also benefits plant and soil health by promoting a stronger nutrient cycle.
Chamas said this isn’t an all-or-nothing practice. Rotational grazing practices can be modified to suit individual producers.
For more information, visit practicalfarmers.org.
