Rotational grazing

Rotational grazing This requires either electric fencing plus a back fence, which is comparatively easy with dairy cows, or the creation of... 

Rotational grazing with a moveable electric fence... 

Table 21.3 Suggested target range of sward heights for set stocked animals or post-grazing sward heights for animals kept on rotational grazing systems...

The principle of this system is rotational grazing alternating with rest periods (Fig. 21.4). The grazing area is divided into equal-sized paddocks. Good access... 

Figure 2. Optical schematic of the chamber for grazing angle measurements. Heaters and one thermocouple are located directly behind the sample (A). Gas inlet and outlet are near the IR transmitting windows (B). The mirrors (C) can be rotated and tilted to maximize signal and eliminate stray light. The entire cell (D) can be translated to change the angle of incidence.

The most satisfactory method for the organic farmer to reduce the risk of infection to lambs from internal parasites is to practise clean grazing, which reduces parasitic infection and increases lamb growth rate (Fig. 3.5). The most effective method of clean grazing is, as we have seen, to use a three year rotational system with sheep, followed by cattle, and then arable. This presupposes land that can be ploughed. On permanent pasture farms with no arable, beef and sheep should be alternated. To make this effective, it helps if there are as many beef livestock units as sheep. If the farm contains only sheep, then it is advisable to alternate on an annual basis between ewes with twins and ewes with singles. If the flock normally produces mostly... 

Both swedes and turnips are sensitive to acidity and grow best at pH levels of 6.5. Like mangolds and fodder beet, the full-season turnips and swedes usually follow cereals in the rotation. Turnips can be grown from July to October, or they can be sown in July to provide autumn grazing before the frosts. 

Fig. II. Mean values during weekly intervals of the rate of ammonia loss from a grazed ryegrass sward receiving 420 kg N ha 1yr 1 and the corresponding values for accumulated rainfall and potential evapotranspiration. The swards were grazed by yearling steers within a 28-day rotation. The numbered bars indicate each grazing period and the actual stocking rate (steers per ha) during that period.

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