OMAHA (DTN) -- Rotational grazing is touted as having many advantages, including improving pasture health, soil conservation and producer profitability.

Yet adoption of the grazing system remains low with cow-calf producers. Several factors, including increased labor, are often cited as reasons why rotational grazing is not utilized more.

However, there are certain strategies which can be used to easily implement rotational grazing, according to an extension specialist.

ROTATIONAL GRAZING NOT BEING UTILIZED

USDA data shows only about 40% of cow-calf operations use any form of rotational grazing, according to Carson Roberts, state forage specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. The same data shows just 16% of producers use intensive grazing systems with paddock rotations of 14 days or less.

Many producers conclude the daily labor rarely justifies the payoff, he said.

"It sidesteps the real killers: herd fragmentation, water limits, performance trade-offs and inflexible stocking," Roberts said in a press release.

Moving cattle takes some time, typically anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes per move for experienced producers, he said. With smaller groups, that labor doesn't scale.

Roberts said his research shows daily labor can range from 50 cents per cow to as low as 1 cent per cow, depending on the herd size and rotation length.

Fragmentation is one of the largest efficiency killers in rotational grazing, he said.

Roberts shared an example of a producer running 350 cows in 17 separate groups across 93 paddocks, or about 5.5 paddocks per group. Daily moves required more than 12 hours of labor and even twice-weekly moves burned about two hours each day.

Roberts said water, not fencing, is often the main limiting factor when producers try rotational grazing.

When cattle must travel more than 800 feet to drink water, their intake and forage utilization declines. This leads to back-grazing, trailing and pugging (soil damage caused by livestock hooves in damp pasture soils).

Some producers have moved away from rotational grazing because calves may wean lighter, even though pounds per acre usually increase due to higher stocking rates. Roberts said experienced graziers accept lower individual gains in exchange for better overall output, but many producers abandon rotational grazing to focus on individual animal gains.

Roberts said drought and seasonal swings can quickly derail a rigid rotational grazing system.

When forage crashes and regrowth is slow, overgrazing can occur even in rotational grazing. Fixed plans that don't account for year-to-year and season-to-season variability often fail to maintain adequate rest periods, he said.

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES TO CAPTURE BENEFITS OF ROTATIONAL GRAZING

Roberts said there are several practical strategies producers can utilize to capture the benefits of rotational grazing without being overwhelmed by the requirements of the system.

-- Set an economically smart rotation interval.

Weekly moves often deliver most of the benefits (improved recovery, utilization and soil health) without the labor burden of daily or three-day rotations, especially for smaller herds.

"Weekly hits the sweet spot for many," Roberts said.

-- Combine animals into larger herds.

Merging groups into one larger herd reduces labor per head and increases grazing efficiency. Common fears about trampling, bull behavior or calf performance are often overstated, and well-managed large mobs typically improve both pasture health and animal outcomes.

-- Fix water infrastructure first.

Water access within 800 feet improves intake, encourages grazing and reduces trailing and pugging. Roberts emphasized that water improvements often pay off faster than adding physical or even virtual fencing.

-- Monitor continuously.

Cow body condition, manure quality and pasture appearance provide real-time feedback. Look for good residual forage, well-formed dung pats and cattle maintaining flesh.

Use observations to adjust rotational timing, stocking or supplementation. Remember that rotational grazing increases total production, not individual animal performance.

-- Build flexible stocking and drought plans.

Pasture growth changes dramatically year-to-year. Producers should prepare to destock early during dry periods, maintain hay reserves or designate sacrifice areas. Adjust rest periods to grass recovery.

"Implement these fixes and rotational grazing stops being a chore and starts delivering real, sustainable returns without the 12-hour move days," Roberts said.

He also encouraged producers to attend grazing schools to strengthen their management skills.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture has a detailed publication about rotational grazing. This report can be found at https://forages.mgcafe.uky.edu/….

Russ Quinn can be reached at Russ.Quinn@dtn.com

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