GRAZING MANAGEMENT FOR LIFESTYLE FARMS

No stranger to grazing, Dr Jennifer Stone BVSc (Dist.) provides a little thought for fodder with advice specifically suited to lifestyle farmers.

Most lifestyle farmers have a mix of animals so it can be di cult to know how many of each are best suited to grazing in the spaces available while fending o parasites. As a rule of thumb, for one year one acre of pasture will support:

 One cow raising a calf until three months of age

 One or two horses, with the use of hard feed over winter

 Approximately six sheep or goats, raising lambs/kids until about three months ose with few animals and enough land may be able to continuously graze the same paddock. However, while simple, this system will usually result in poor quality grass over time as the stock avoid certain plants and areas where they have defecated. Weeds are likely to persist, parasite burdens will be higher and stocking rates need to be lower.

Rotational Grazing

Using multiple paddocks through which animals are rotated, rotational grazing ensures that pasture has time to rest and recover. Although pasture is maintained at the fastest stage of growth and parasite loads in the grass are lower, this method requires fencing, water sources to each paddock and more intensive management.

Mixed Grazing

is system uses di erent species to follow behind each other (see table) because di erent species have di erent eating habits and are a ected by di erent parasites.

Plant Horses Cattle Sheep Goats

Grass 90% 70% 60% 20%

Weeds 4% 20% 30% 20%

Browse 6% 10% 10% 60% is means, for example, that a cow’s diet consists of 70 per cent grass, a sheep eats 60% grass, but a goat eats only 20% grass with most of its feed coming from weeds and browsing plants higher o the ground.

Cattle eat long grass using their tongue to wrap around the sward and pulling to take a mouthful. erefore they require paddocks where the grass is 15-25cm high and need to be removed when pasture is no lower than 8cm.

Sheep eat shorter grass as they nibble with their front teeth. Generally sheep should not be grazed on pasture any lower than 2-3cm tall depending on the time of the year. Goats can be used to tidy up weedy patches and Chickens may be taken through a erwards to fertilise the land as the pasture recovers.

Sheep and goats share the same parasites, while cattle harbour di erent parasite species again. erefore, cross grazing helps to clean up the pasture and lower parasite burdens.

Patchy areas of weeds or faecal piles will not be eaten and should not be considered when judging the average pasture length. Even with cross grazing stock will still require drenching at certain times of year. See www.franklinvets.co.nz/lifestyle-farms for more detailed lifestyle block health and pasture management information.

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 Barbers pole worm: this blood sucking parasite causes anaemia so check gums, which will become pale or even white. Prevent this with Clomax

 Flystrike: sheep may appear restless, itchy with wool discolouration. Remove dags and apply Cyrex after shearing

 Facial eczema: monitor spore counts and use Zinc as a prevention

 Pink eye: this is a highly contagious infection indicated by inflamed, weepy eyes

 Ticks: check for animals rubbing or with large areas of hair loss