These managers have listened to presentations, read articles, been involved in conversations at the coffee shop and consulted with grazing professionals, all in an effort to better manage their grazing.
A large chunk of this effort seems to focus on what type of herd rotation, if any, is best. There are too many opinions on the topic to list, and the conversation reminds me a lot of politics. There are a few people on the “left,” a few people on the “right,” and most people fall somewhere in the “middle.”
No matter where you look on the grazing management spectrum, someone is justifying ideas without facts, in spite of the facts or manipulating the facts to fit their ideas.
Others use scientific principles and the best scientific evidence available to justify their position but are so far entrenched on their side that land-owner goals, abilities or resources are often disregarded.
Many times, the thought that middle ground is the best place for a grazing manager to start making changes to optimize his or her operation is frowned upon. Very rarely do any of these conversations focus on, or even start with, the importance of the ranch being correctly stocked.
People seem to infer, or just assume, that proper stocking rate has been addressed when having these discussions. Stocking rate is, and will continue to be, the single-most important decision a grazing manager will make – although, it is many times the first mistake made.
Most of the consultation work I do is assisting producers in setting proper stocking rates. Many times producers who call to discuss high-density adaptive grazing management are doing so because they are looking for something to improve the health of their grazing lands. Their grazing lands usually need improvement because of long-term overgrazing.
Setting a proper stocking rate must be done before any change in grazing management will be effective. In this case, I like to ask what made them want to make a change in their management. Oftentimes, I’m told they read an article or heard a speaker say they could increase the health of their grazing lands while doubling their stocking rate if they implement grazing system “X.”
I have to admit, I’ve heard the same things. While an increase in the number of animals grazing a ranch might be a goal in implementing a high-stock density grazing plan, it is very rarely one of the first steps. It is normally an outcome of using proper grazing management to improve pastures.
I’m not saying that consultants, agency personnel or grazing managers who give advice on grazing management are purposely misleading their audience, but I do feel there is some confusion that comes from terms, such as stocking rate, that we might not all be using in the same ways.
Let’s look at the definitions of a few terms normally used in grazing management conversations and discuss the realistic expectations of grazing plans in general to make sure we’re all on the same page.
Carrying capacity
Carrying capacity is the number of animals a given piece of land can support on a long-term basis without causing damage to the ecosystem and a decrease in animal performance.
Each ranch or farm, as well as each pasture within those properties, will have a different carrying capacity. It comes down to the amount of available forage a piece of land produces in a given time, typically a year. Not all soils are created equal and some have the ability to produce more forage per unit than other soils in the same pasture or on the same ranch.
Past management also has a bearing on the carrying capacity of a given piece of land. If every other variable was equal, pasture A that has been properly managed and correctly utilized will out-produce pasture B that has been repeatedly overgrazed.
Pasture A will produce more forage and will be able to support more animals for a given amount of time than pasture B; thus, pasture A has a higher carrying capacity than pasture B.
Carrying capacity is not static from year to year. It can vary based on variables such as rainfall and temperature. Many times grazing managers use grazing plans to improve the health of their pastures, which in turn will increase the carrying capacity of those pastures.
Matching the demand from the grazing animals with the carrying capacity of the ranch is the only way to make sure a ranch is properly stocked. Grazing managers use stocking rate to match demand with production.
Stocking rate
Stocking rate is the number of animals grazing on a given piece of land for a specified period of time. It includes three elements: number of animals, area of land and a specific period of time grazed.
Any one of those variables can be adjusted to help grazing managers match the carrying capacity of a ranch with their herd. Stocking rate is the most important decision grazing managers make because it directly affects animal performance and ecological resources.
This will ultimately affect the net profit of an operation, regardless of the type of grazing plan, the breed or class of animal chosen.
Grazing plan expectations
Grazing plans will vary the elements of stocking rates at various levels based on intensity of the management involved.
High-stock density plans increase the stock density on a given piece of land without overgrazing it. These plans will concentrate livestock into smaller pastures and graze pastures for shorter time periods relative to other grazing plans.
The stock density is increased because there will be more animals grazing each acre at any given time, but each acre is grazed for shorter periods of time. This allows grazing managers the ability to realize the benefits of high-stock density without increasing the stocking rate to a level above the ranch’s carrying capacity.
While it is rarely feasible or acceptable to initially double the stocking rate, it is acceptable, and often needed, when implementing a more management-intensive grazing plan.
Successful grazing plans should balance forage production with animal demand while providing sufficient growing season rest, stock densities and grazing distribution to maintain or improve the health of the land they are implemented on. They take into account the land owner’s goals and his or her abilities and resources to properly match the stocking rate to the carrying capacity of the land.
Oftentimes, the more management-intensive the grazing plan, the faster changes to the land will be made. If implemented correctly, these changes will be positive.
Positive changes could include shifts in species composition, an increase in forage production and an overall increase in grazing land health. These changes are what could lead to a doubling in stocking rate, not the other way around. 
PHOTO: Matching the demand from the grazing animals with the carrying capacity of the ranch is the only way to make sure a ranch is properly stocked. Staff photo.
