grazing and grassland

• Grassland

  Used for grazing and for silage and hay conservation for winter feed
• Determining grass required throughout the year

  For grazing and conservation
• Good grazing management

  • Can optimize the level of grass and winter fodder produced
• Livestock unit (LU)


  A measurement of livestock grazing, equivalent to one dairy cow or one suckler cow
• Rotational grazing system

  Animals moved around different fields, grazing on fresh grass constantly and allowing for regrowth of grazed areas
• Paddock grazing

  Land divided into paddocks of equal size, livestock moved to a new paddock each day and grass has regrown by the time they return to the first paddock
• Advantages of paddock grazing

  • Fresh, highly digestible leafy grass available every day for grazing
  • No grass is wasted
  • Excess grass can be saved as silage
• Disadvantages of paddock grazing

  • Expensive to set up
  • Roadways/access to each paddock must be created, fencing and water supply needed
  • Can be difficult to cut for silage if paddocks are small
• Strip grazing

  Field divided into strips using a movable electric fence, herd moved forward to a fresh strip each day
• Advantages of strip grazing

  • Fresh, leafy grass available each day for grazing
  • No wastage of grass as each strip is grazed bare
  • Grass is not damaged while re-growing as livestock cannot access it
• Disadvantages of strip grazing

  • High labour required to move livestock, fencing and movable water supply each day
  • Use of fixed water supply means part of field left as access route, cannot be grazed and can be damaged
• Set stocking


  Livestock have access to all grazing land over one continuous area for the grazing season
• Advantages of set stocking

  • Not labour intensive
  • Not expensive
• Disadvantages of set stocking

  • Grass becomes patchy and is of poor quality
  • Land becomes damaged and poached
• Block grazing


  Large fields divided into smaller blocks, livestock graze a block for 1 week before moving to next block
• Advantages of block grazing

  • Cheaper than paddock grazing
  • Less fencing needed
  • Less labour required and less movement of animals
• Disadvantages of block grazing

  • Grazing of blocks not as efficient as paddock or strip grazing
• Zero grazing


  Cattle housed all year round, grass or other forage crops cut and brought to livestock, cattle do not graze the land
• Advantages of zero grazing

  • Land not poached by animals
  • Energy not wasted by animals through movement
  • Less chance of lameness as livestock not walking on roads
  • Access to fresh grass at all times increases feed intake
  • All fields accessible for grazing, distant fields can be used
  • All grass cut at same time, no need for topping
• Topping


  Mowing grass to 5-7 cm height, cuts grass to correct post-grazing height and encourages tillering
• Creep grazing


  Creep gate or gap in fence allows calves or lambs access to disease-free field with fresh grass
• Leader-follower system


  Young animals grazed one field ahead of older animals in paddock grazing
• Mixed grazing


  Cattle and sheep grazing together in same field or paddock
• Advantages of mixed grazing


  • Production levels increase by 10-15% in both sheep and cattle
  • Tillering increased as sheep graze close to ground
  • Less waste due to close grazing habit of sheep
  • Sheep eat grass around cow dung, cows avoid, ensures no waste and prevents grass becoming patchy
  • Cows less selective grazers than sheep, eat grass species sheep avoid
• Extended grazing


  Closing off fields in July and August to allow grass to build up for winter grazing
• Advantages of extended grazing

  • Reduced need for silage, livestock can graze grass during winter
  • Reduced costs associated with smaller quantity of silage produced
  • Provides low-cost, year-round grazing system
• Tillering


  Development of side shoots in a plant
• Impact of grassland management on livestock and other animals


  • Can reduce exposure to parasites and disease, increase growth rates in mixed grazing
  • Greater plant biodiversity can lead to greater animal biodiversity, with bees, butterflies and wasps as indicator species
• Application of fertilisers such as nitrogen must be according to regulations outlined in the Nitrates Regulations, and the quantity of fertiliser applied to the land is dependent on the stocking rate on the land
• When moving livestock from paddock to paddock, personnel should be experienced and have a clear route out of the paddock for the livestock
• Animals should not be unnecessarily stressed or beaten. Fencing should be stock proof and gates should be secure to prevent break-outs