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April 16, 2025 - The Grass is Greener

Maximizing pasture health with rotational grazing methods.

The days are getting longer, snow is melting, geese are honking overhead and the ground is softening. We all know that spring is here and the seasonal dread for some is evaporating. 

The overwhelming reality of endless projects, plans and lists of the summer sets in because for the next four months there is heaps of work to do. Expectation creeps in, but luckily there are finally more hours in the day and warmer weather ahead to execute the list of to-dos. 

Livestock is now searching for the first sprigs of greens bolting from the ground, pushing through fences to find a few more plants. Meanwhile, producers are playing the waiting game on the grass, as we know this is Alberta after all and the snow never really stops. While all seems to be signs of spring, the weather remains unpredictable. 

Even if there are still spurts of snow or plenty of rain on the way, this season’s grazing plan should be in effect. The ultimate goal of most producers is optimizing yields from pastures and cropland without causing lasting damage or impacts to vegetation both above ground and in the soil. 

 They say patience is a virtue and does waiting for that three-leaf stage before opening the gate really test you. However, there are benefits to waiting. Grazing after the three-leaf stage promotes tillering and greater above ground growth for the season.  

It is rarely ever worth the extra few days when you graze your pasture too soon. The rule of thumb is that every day you get into the pasture too soon, there are three days of grazing you lose in the fall. So, squeezing what you have left for feed into the waiting game can benefit your long game.

A critical piece of understanding the readiness of the pasture is considering the topography, the soil type, forage species, age of the stand, fertility level, and the amount of moisture. Every pasture is different, meaning different times of emergence, growth, and health of those forage species. A danger with grazing too early is that it can open the door for invasive species issues. Native forage species are selected for by livestock when grazing and grazing those down too early creates little to no competition to combat pesky weed species. 

Things get busy and producers may find themselves practicing a continuous grazing method as it’s less effort. Continuous grazing depletes the pasture of native forage. The consequence is a decrease in favored species due to exhaustion and die off. Once again, making way for less favorable species filling the gaps and providing less beneficial grazing and a reduction in gains. 

Shifting to more rotational grazing practice can save you time, money, and energy in the long run. Rotational grazing can optimize your yields and improve overall soil and pasture health. The ideal guide to rotational grazing is to graze half and leave half, then move onto your next pasture. A good rest period for a pasture is three to five weeks. This allows plant material to recover more efficiently and quickly. 

While rotational grazing sounds straight forward, a few considerations should be noted. The stocking rate generally determines the size of the paddock. Ensuring the right stocking rate will bring to life the goal of uniform grazing throughout. The paddock size also determines the frequency of rotations, allowing for a rotational routine and timeframe to be established. 

Lastly, monitoring the grazed paddock daily and the other paddocks weekly will allow producers to become aware of any regrowth challenges, early forage maturity, and emerging weed problems. Early detection of these issues can make or break the health of the paddock. 

Pasture growth can be radically improved by utilizing a controlled grazing management method. Plant species will diversify, enhancing soil microbial activity, and boosting nutrient availability to plant roots providing optimum drought resistance. 

In the near future, we can only hope that the biggest challenge of grazing will be deciding which paddock to graze next as the paddocks will be plentiful with native forage and healthy soil conditions. As old farmer wisdom says, “grazing with patience can feed generations.” For more information on controlled grazing techniques, give Agriculture and Community Services a call at 403-845-4444.