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4. Soil Management Considerations
Discussion – Rotational Grazing
What are some ways other than fencing that you can use to move animals around on the land?
What are the relative costs in terms of time and money for these different strategies?
•
Bale grazing
•
Temporary/new water source
•
Herders
•
Other?
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Continuous
Simple Rotational
Intensive Rotational
Advantages
• Startup costs are low
• Requires less management
• Higher forage quality and yields
• Gives pastures time to regrow
• Can lengthen growing season
• Better distribution of manure
• Maximizes forage production
• Higher stocking rates
• Most even distribution
of manure
• Weed and brush control
• Little additional feed required
Disadvantages
• Lower forage quality and yields
• Fewer animals/year supported
• Resulting areas of bare soil
• Uneven manure distribution
• Weed problems
• Alternative feed required
• Higher long term costs
• Less forage production
than in intensive system
• Alternative feed may be required
• Higher costs for fence and water
• Careful monitoring
of forage supply required
• Higher initial costs (fencing, water)
• More intensive management
required
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