Build a Grazing Plan to Balance Forage Supply, Livestock Demand By Jesse Bussard Sponsored by Gallagher
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here is more to grazing than just turning cows out to pasture. The forage resource and the livestock grazing it are part of a much larger, more complex system and must be managed as such. grazing plan, according to specialist Jim Gerrish, offers A producers an organized approach to managing the system of soil, plant, animal, and human resources available to the farm or ranch. Gerrish, who manages a grazing operation in the Pahsimeroi Valley of north central Idaho, has been involved in grazing practices, research, and consulting since 1980. The reason for a grazing plan says Gerrish is because, “Grass does not grow at the same rate every day of the year, nor does animal consumption rate stay the same. If you don’t have a plan for where you are going, it is very hard to bring that supply and demand into balance.” Imbalance leads to inefficiency building into the rest of the system and unnecessary economical and emotional stresses for producers. To balance supply and demand grazing managers must use a variable stocking rate throughout the year (i.e. don’t have the same number of animals on the place month after month). “An increase in costs and decrease in income is very often the outcome of not having a grazing plan,” says Gerrish. The benefits of implementing a grazing plan include increasing the total number of stock days harvested per acre annually and improved grazing efficiency thanks to having animal demand matched to the available forage supply. In addition, Gerrish notes drought and destocking plans, both vital components of a grazing plan, helps manager proactively plan and be better equipped to deal with drought when it does finally occur. “Most farmers and ranchers are well into the drought before they figure out, ‘Man, I’ve got to sell some cattle,” says Gerrish. “If you have a plan, you would already be
16 | APRIL 2020
