When compared to the more intensively managed systems, continuous grazing requires less daily management in moving the cattle, fence and water tubs. One of the more common approachesparadigms is termed management intensive grazing mig. Intensive farming is the latest technique used to yield high productivity by using measures such as keeping a large number of livestock indoors, and using an excessive amount of chemical fertilizers on a tiny acreage. Pros and cons of intensive livestock farming greentumble. Management cant happen unless there is a goal or objective. These include more stable production during poor growing conditions especially drought, greater yield potential, higher quality forage available. The length of the grazing season is largely limited by climate and weather but may be modified by elevation, soil characteristics, choice. Grazing management the manipulation of grazing animals to accomplish desired results in terms of animal, plant, land, or economic responses valentine 1990. Managed grazing systems and fencing for distribution of.
Intensive grazing on irrigated pastures adapted from attras new publication, why intensive grazing on irrigated pastures. The goal of management intensive grazing mig systems is to use the best part of all plants, not just the most palatable plants. In managementintensive grazing, the grassroots of grass farming, he uses vivid images and detailed explanations to take graziers stepbystep through the mig system. In management intensive grazing, the grassroots of grass farming, he uses vivid images and detailed explanations to take graziers stepbystep through the mig system.
Livestock farming involves the rearing of animals for food and other human uses, such as producing leather, wool and even fertilizer. Grazing animals need to be managed in order to accommodate desired results in terms of animal, plant, land and economic responses. In agriculture, rotational grazing, as opposed to continuous grazing, describes many systems of pasturing, whereby livestock are moved to portions of the pasture, called paddocks, while the other portions rest. Although milk yields are often lower in rotational systems, net farm income per cow is often greater as compared to confinement operations. Advantages and disadvantages of grazing for highyielding.
Environmentally sensitive areas respond well to it, dr. Managementintensive grazing 2 rest allows plant regrowth and recovery before being grazed a second time within the same grazing period. Mig maximizes the feed potential of pasture and the. Extensive grazing systems for sheep management and. Live weight gains per acre are quite high for grazing beef cattle, with total season gains of 500 to 800 pounds per acre in research trials and onfarm demonstrations.
Advantages and disadvantages of grazing for highyielding dairy cows. With proper grazing management, alfalfas high yield potential can be converted to high levels of animal production per acre. Mig was coined by jim gerrish, a wellrespected grazing consultant for livestock. Management intensive grazing this approach emphasizes management rather than the system or its components. At green pastures farm, weve practiced managementintensive grazing also called highdensity, or mob grazing for almost a decade, as a part of our holistic grazing plan. The grazing system used depends on the type of animals, available space and the amount of animals being reared. Its not intensive labor or intensive animal movement. Grazing grazing management management techniques mark kennedy state grazinglands specialist usdausdanrcs missourinrcs missouri fundamentals of successful grazing management meet the nutritional needs of the livestock from standing pasture oppp y,qy,ptimize pasture yield, quality, and persistence maintain or enhance the natural. Ranchers sing the praises of mob grazing of cattle beef.
Mob grazing 101 start with a high stock density for a short period of time, allow for ample recovery of the plants, and you might yield some impressive pasture results. The chapter explores the benefits and limitations of keeping livestock. Fencing systems for intensive grazing management the cattle. The approach often produces lower outputs than more intensive animal. Pasture rotation provides an opportunity for the pasture to rest after grazing use. Chapter 43 of the book traditional american farming techniques.
A large number of fertilizers and pesticides are used, which may result in increased pollution. The ability to prepare and estimate forage utilization means less uncertainty when dealing with management decisions in real time. Managementintensive grazing mig is the movement of grazing animals through a series of paddocks for brief periods of time so that the forages are allowed periods of regrowth to restore reserves and in so doing, the animals are provided with high quality feed if returned at the proper time. Management intensive grazing in indiana ay328 4 getting started w elcome to management intensive grazing. The successful management intensive systems provide livestock with new areas of high quality pasture frequently, but then give those areas of pasture time to regrow before the next grazing. Good grazing requires knowledge and good technique. Apr 02, 2019 management intensive grazing mig is a system of grazing where the management is intensive, but the grazing is not.
Mob grazing cattle made simple homesteading and livestock. Using vivid images and detailed explanations, gerrish takes graziers step by step through the mig system. Layout and design of grazing systems university of missouri. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of intensive. Shortening the grazing period, increasing the length of the rest period and increasing stock density to optimize gain per acre. The person who coined the phrase managementintensive grazing, jim gerrish, answers that question in the new book managementintensive grazing, the grassroots of grass farming. Management intensive rotational grazing mirg is an expanding practice among dairy farmers in the upper midwest.
An essential feature of intensive grazing management consists of the rotation of cattle through numerous small paddocks, each with a water source, instead of. Intensive rotational grazing clayton may, 2014 permaculture strategies leave a comment when designing a livestock grazing system to optimize animal health, pasture integrity, and economic productivity, the primary dynamic that must be accounted for is grazing pressure. And it lets you do a better job of livestock management. Grazing management both a science and an art, should be based on both the knowledge of science and the wisdom of practical experience. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of intensive farming. Types of grazing systems grazing animals such as cattle, sheep and goats feed on the leaves and shoots of grass and other shortplants forage. Research studies have indicated the fact that intensive farming has a considerable effect on environment.
Management intensive rotational grazing will be emphasized because it offers a number of advantages over both continuous grazing and less intensive rotational systems. Hubbards, has shown mig actually takes less time per animal than many other management. A rotational grazing program can generally be defined as use of several pastures, one of which is grazed while the others are rested before being regrazed. Others use the term controlled grazing to refer to fact that the livestocks access to forage is controlled by the shepherd. This concept is based on the same principle as management intensive grazing mig, but with much longer rest periods. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of. Mig takes into consideration not just the animals, but the whole system. In order to understand mob grazing, or planned highdensity grazing as judy also calls the technique, you need to understand where the missouri grazier started and how he now operates. Managed grazing systems and fencing for distribution of beef.
Managementintensive grazing in indiana ay328 4 getting started w elcome to managementintensive grazing. Intensive grazing systems can offer other rewards, ones that wouldnt show up in an economic analysis. Most folks dont fully understand what the word intensive refers to when used with grazing. The response of vegetation, livestock and ecosystems to. How to manage pastures using rotational or management. Controlled grazing also known as rotational or management intensive grazing is the process of moving a herd of livestock from one pasture to. Grazing management both a science and an art, should be based on both the knowledge of science and.
Written for those new to mig grazing, gerrishs insights and personal experience can help experienced graziers fine tune their grazing operations for added income. Heather smith thomas rotational shortduration management intensive grazing is a good way to increase cattle performance and improve pasture health and productivity. Education for serious grazers on september 28, 2017 at the red river research station in bossier parish day 2 september 29 red river conference for advanced livestock graziers beyond the basics of rotational and intensive grazing management, targeted to provide continuing education read more. A great grazing systems planning guide by kathy voth september 1, 2014 comments off on a great grazing systems planning guide from folks at university of minnesota extension, this guide helps you look at your pastures and your stock so you can develop your own grazing management plan or tweak the one youve got. Fencing systems for intensive grazing management 10 october 2009 making the most of your forage with rotational grazing, will allow stocking rates to be increased resulting in increased beef production per acre, write extension officers, l. Nov 29, 2017 at green pastures farm, weve practiced managementintensive grazing also called highdensity, or mob grazing for almost a decade, as a part of our holistic grazing plan.
Over a 10year period, in a demonstration project involving intensive grazing management on 2,500 acres of poor condition native rangeland, theyve doubled the amount of forage being produced and there is still potential for much more improvement. A working knowledge of grazing management terms and calculations is an extremely useful tool when planning and developing practical, successful grazing plans. The practice of managementintensive grazing or rotational grazing, as promoted in this book, encourages minimizing the production and use of hay or silage and maximizing the use of grazing to feed horses. This type of farming primarily applies to cattle or dairy cows, chickens, goats, pigs, horses and sheep but it is also increasingly relevant for other animals such as donkeys, mules, rabbits and insects such as bees which are now being raised as part of livestock. Management intensive grazing mig is the movement of grazing animals through a series of paddocks for brief periods of time so that the forages are allowed periods of regrowth to restore reserves and in so doing, the animals are provided with high quality feed if returned at the proper time. Overcrowding of the livestock is another disadvantage of intensive farming. What is mob grazing and does it really provide advantages.
Grazing management is one of several tools available to land managers to manipulate vegetation, livestock performance and ecosystem processes. The principles of rotational grazing were first described near the end of the 18th century in scotland voisin 1959, but implementation of rotational grazing. Understanding the intensive in intensive grazing unl beef. Controlled grazing also known as rotational or management intensive grazing is the process of moving a herd of livestock from one pasture to another and allowing each pasture a. Grazing management by some form of pasture rotation is a common and desirable technique for smaller pasture operations note. The goal of managementintensive grazing mig systems is to use the best part of all plants, not just the most palatable plants. Some knowledge of range land nutrition, including toxicities and deficiencies common to the area, feed costs, labor problems, and markets, in addition to knowledge of sheep diseases, is very helpful when giving advice and providing preventive programs and management changes to extensive grazing producers. Management intensive grazing mig for sheep 8 youtube. Relatively long rest periods follow short grazing periods.
Animals are used as tools to influence change or to maintain diversity for the betterment of that ecosystem, and in order to use those. The information here should be applicable to any hoosier grazier of any livestock species. The grazing period could range from a full day to a few hours a day. Grazing systems management is a combination of art and science. A method of utilizing the forage resource to maximize return, while maintaining long term productivity of the resource base aims at managing the soil, water, plants and animals together as a whole in a systems approach you the manager are in control of time and space. Where there is adequate growing season moisture, grasses can be kept in a vegetative stage for a longer. This manual will help improve your understanding of basic grazing concepts.
Jim gerrish discusses how implementing the correct grazing system and properly managing solar energy, water and. Grazing management, second edition integrates principles and management techniques that apply to all grazing lands and to all grazing animals. It is multiple moves per day and the highstock density that differentiate mob grazing from other management intensive grazing mig forms, he says. This is due to the additional costs associated with herd health and purchased feeds are greatly reduced in management intensive rotational grazing systems. Rotational, or deferred grazing, involves moving animals through a series of three or more pastures, in an effort to match the forage availability to the animals production needs. He used managementintensive grazing mig with pastures divided. Management intensive grazing mig is a system of grazing where the management is intensive, but the grazing is not. Rotational grazing an overview sciencedirect topics. Oct 26, 2016 livestock farming involves the rearing of animals for food and other human uses, such as producing leather, wool and even fertilizer. An excellent book for the beginner and experienced alike covering soils, management, forages, etc. Intensive grazing can be defined as applying better management practices to pasture so that cattle or sheep can obtain the majority of their warm month feed needs from grazing. Advantages of rotational grazing premier1supplies sheep. The ability to prepare and estimate forage utilization means less uncertainty when dealing with management decisions in real time once animals are grazing pastures. The disadvantages include even higher initial costs for fencing and water and a higher level of management and labor required.
Grazing systems are specialized grazing management practices that facilitate rest periods between grazing periods or deferment for two or more pastures heitschmidt and taylor 1991. Before he turned to mob grazing, judy managed three herds of cattle on separate farms. A flexible approach to rotational grazing management whereby animal nutrient demand through the grazing season is balanced with forage supply and available forage is allocated based on animal requirements. A ready reference on all phases of agriculture for farmers of the united states and canada, by frank d. A grazing systemis the pattern in which a farmer allows livestock to grazea pasture. Advantages of rotational grazing premier1supplies sheep guide. But good grazing is not just opening the gate and putting sheep into a pasture.
Animals are used as tools to influence change or to maintain diversity for the. The higher the density, with shorter grazing periods, the more uniform the urinemanure distribution will be. Each paddock must provide all the needs of the livestock, such as food, water and sometimes shade and shelter. He used management intensive grazing mig with pastures divided. Jan 18, 2011 intensive grazing systems can offer other rewards, ones that wouldnt show up in an economic analysis. Nov 12, 2012 with proper grazing management, alfalfas high yield potential can be converted to high levels of animal production per acre.
1383 833 1578 4 908 819 498 714 1229 873 835 1552 1542 214 1508 900 744 1268 1512 613 391 1115 1244 1425 1217 572 1472 81 643 91 1311 175 716 1262 1224 943 1419 640 475 62 573 129 152