15 - Grazing Systems

Abstract

A grazing system is defined as a specialization of grazing management based on rotating grazing animals among two or more grazing land units (paddocks) while defining systematically recurring periods of grazing and nongrazing. The Forage and Grazing Terminology Committee (FGTC), after differentiating grazing methods from grazing systems, further expanded the historical concept of “grazing system” to include “a defined, integrated combination of animal, plant, soil, and other environmental components,” thereby approaching a grazing management plan. Additional criteria that are helpful in describing a grazing system include kind, class, and number of grazing animals in each herd; number of grazing periods per year; season of grazing in relation to plant and animal requirements; stocking density index; and grazing pressure. Still other items ideally related include: whether a systematic or flexible schedule is followed; size, shape, and arrangement of grazing units; and description of grazing methods or range improvement practices routinely included within the system. Decisions that must be made by the manager when designing a complex grazing system include the physical aspects of the system: the amount of land to include within the total system; the number, size, shape, and arrangement of paddocks; kind, number or extent, and location of fences and water developments; kind (or mix), class, and number of animals; the number of herds (generally 1 to 3); length of the grazing season; and the grazing schedule.