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5 PRINCIPLES The Midwest Cattleman · March 31, 2022 · P21
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crease profits substantially standardized measurement out on range with the cows. same size pasture, which can
through increased total sales of the amount of forage in Once we started doing this be a challenge as it requires
of end product (pounds of pounds that it takes to sus- our losses and problems in cattle to both come and go
animal sold) and decreased tain a 1,000-pound cow with calving first calf heifers all “on demand” and for a specif-
overhead costs per unit. a less than 3-month-old calf but vanished. Calving heif- ic time period. This is often
How do we do this? Follow at her side for one month. ers as a separate group is logistically infeasible. The
the five principles of grazing: Know your intake require- like turning a bunch of preg- other method is to reduce
1. Adjust the post-graz- ments on each class of cattle nant teenagers loose togeth- pasture size with the same
ing rest period as growth and match that to your pro- er. None of them know what number of cattle already
rate changes. Slow-growing duction capacity. to do. Let the older cows be in inventory until the de-
pastures require longer peri- 4. Use the largest herd the teachers. They are better sired stock density has been
ods of rest than quick-grow- possible. This is the easiest at it than you are anyway. achieved. The latter method
ing pastures before re-graz- principle to employ. Combine 5. Use the highest stock- has a compounding benefit
ing. all cattle into one group. Ob- ing density possible. Sim- of creating more small pas-
2. Use the shortest graze viously, bulls have to be held ply put, pack them in as tures, which allows for more
period possible. For some out of the herd during times tightly as is practical. This acres of the ranch to be at
this may be one day, for some you want to avoid breed- is generally measured in rest and in recovery mode.
three days or for some native ing, but once breeding sea- pounds of livestock per acre. Higher stock densities also
desert ranges it may only be son hits, they can rejoin and Each land type, water avail- increase more uniform nutri-
practical to move them once stay there until they become ability and fencing will de- ent deposit back to the land
a week. Each operation is dif- a danger of breeding heifer termine what you can do on in the form of manure and
ferent and no two will look calves too early. This gives a your operation, but the tight- urine, as long as the cattle
the same. double benefit of enlarging er you can pack them for a aren’t kept on it long enough
3. Adjust stocking rates the herd, letting the cows short duration, the greater to overgraze the pasture.
to match carrying capac- teach the heifers how to be the harvest efficiency of the Some management prac-
ity. Under stocking can be cows, as well as decreasing forage due to less selection tices that are realistic and
as bad as overstocking, so labor by having fewer groups opportunity the cattle have proven to increase profit
take the time to measure of cattle to keep track of; a and reduced trampling loss. that hit on multiple grazing
forage and stock according- win all the way around. A bit The two most common principles are: During fast
ly. Remember that a 1,400- of advice I learned from expe- methods of increasing stock growing times, move cattle
pound cow is 1.4 animal unit rience – let the heifers range density are to either increase as frequently as possible. As
months (AUM’s) – which is a through the winter and calve the number of cattle in the continued on page 22