HOW BIG SHOULD EACH PADDOCK BE? Calculating Grazing Paddock Size for Rotational Grazing sheep & cows
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- čas přidán 28. 01. 2021
- FREE PADDOCK SIZING WORKSHEET: bit.ly/paddockplan
Today I am giving you a formula that I use for calculating Grazing Paddock Size for small scale Rotational Grazing. Using what you know of the carrying capacity of your land, the animal unit measure, and the square footage of an acre, we come to a very easy means to Calculate Grazing Paddock Size for Rotational Grazing. Please know, this formula does not replace careful observation of both land and animals while rotational grazing. It is important to watch how your land and animals respond to each paddock size. It is also helpful to keep a grazing journal or photographic record.
This paddock sizing formula is geared towards small scale grazing, but can easily be adjusted for large scale operations. This formula was adapted from Joel Salatin's method explained in Salad Bar Beef.
Hope this helps you!
-the Shepherdess
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Hi Shepherdess, This Hamid, I live in capital of Australia, I really impressed with your channel and the ideas and what you are teaching, it is awesome. But unluckily I got you very late, i bought small farm 25 acres two years back, I divided 5 paddock and grew many kind of grasses which give me grass throughout year in different season, I bought 32 goats in two batches with 3 months difference and 2 buck, with in 6 month they turned into 57 and in September they will be 80 and December they will be hundred, I bought beehives, fish in pond, vegetable garden and nursery, now working on orchard ad poultry and egg farming and quail farming, I also going to introduce Agri tourism, buying a miniature horses for children ride and going to make wedding set up. Mushroom farming, soldier fly farming and earthwork=m farming are in my list too.
Your comment on rotational grazing being as much of an art as a science is so true!
It really is!! I hope that’s the main takeaway from this vid. Thanks so much for commenting. 🌱
I'd say it's a great place to start. We're more of a twice per day mover when it comes to grazing cover crops on fields that also produce cash crops, and we'll graze sheep, goats and chickens behind the cattle, separately. By the time late sumer / fall hits on our regular pasture, we go back to twice per day because the growth starts getting ahead of us. It takes so much more energy and effort for cattle to graze on grass that's beyond it's prime, which slows down their weight gain.
I've found that anything over 12" needs to be bailed if you can't get some animals on it right away. Yet you don't want to get it under 6". IF THIS WERE EASY, EVERYONE WOUDL BE DOING IT! The thing about multi species grazing is parasites dead end, and sheep / goats eat what cattle won't. And chickens lower pest pressure tremendously! Especially when turned lose on cover crops!
Totally amazing and inspirational. The thing is, it's very hard, yes. But the alternative is worse.
Thank you for the paddock sizing worksheet.
You are welcome! I hope it helps you.
-the Shepherdess 🐑🌱
FABULOUS video Grace!!!! Full of great information!!! Keep up the great work!!! You're an inspiration to so many! 🙌🏻🐑🌱
Thanks, Anna!
Thank you so much for the worksheet. You rock,just like your videos...thanks for sharing 🍸
Awesome video! Quick! Clear! Loved it. Thank you.
Grateful for this feedback! Thanks very much.
-the Shepherdess
Another great video…I’m learning so much. Thank you.
Thank you, Genesis!
Thanks for sharing.
Wow am loving this
Thank you 😊
Very interesting
I know I am super late to the party on this one, but I have been watching your videos for quite a while now, and I still go back and re-watch them sometimes.
I have to say, the amount of bad data online is staggering. I pulled spreadsheets where their percentages did not add up correctly, they miscalculated the number of days in a year when trying to calculate an AUY (resulting in an error of about 130 pounds of feed too low), and I even saw one guy who said a sheep was one animal unit. I was surprised to see quite a few of these miscalculations were done by university agricultural departments.
I'm a numbers guy, and needless to say the research is driving me bananas. I appreciate your comments on starting with your local office and then using observation. Frankly, online data research for this kind of stuff can be pretty frustrating.
I’m super encouraged to know my older content is still being watched! Thanks for commenting.
@@theShepherdess Absolutely. News and entertainment can get ages, but I see channels like yours more like a video reference library. The information does not generally become irrelevant. I appreciate all you do, and I hope you have a great weekend!
Best
Thanks. Just what I needed. Starting with 3 ewes, 1 ram and 2 lambs. Unfortunately I have discovered silver nightshade on my land. Would you consider a poisonous weeds and shrubs video? I am in the dry Texas hill country. I will do rotating pasture with electric fence inside an acre. I have some good grass to start with. I plan on weed burning as I go.
Thanks for your videos and download. I love your channel!!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!! Yes, I have silver leaf nightshade on my pasture as well. I will usually put on some thick work gloves and pull it up by hand when I see it. I will also mow the pasture areas where it is at to keep it from going to seed.
Hope this info helps!!
-the Shepherdess
Great information. Please send me the worksheet
been one of the things i have been lazy with due to being laid off during covid and due to the fact the prior owners way over grazed with longhorns... I have 60 acres but looking at another 2-3 60 acre plots, 2 of which my creek extends onto so that would give me good water sources on a low water creek in colorado. I was thinking of doing 5 acre to 10 acre paddocks on each property while renting out just the house on those other properties if i do get them. Also looking at a fodder system for winter time and an option of building winter proof buildings / paddocks for a winter feed lot maybe.
On my current property i would say about 2 to 4 acres of it is pure hayable creek grasses of creek bed. Meaning non irrigated but might as well be high quality hay that i could cut let animals graze it over and even work on maybe getting the 5 acre paddocks each some over wintering modifications sooner or later maybe.
Also, looking into maybe doing a multi animal grazing... meaning chickens/ducks right after sheep or cows after throwing some minerals down on the manure prior to letting the birds get some grubs.
Sounds like you are off to a great start!
-the Shepherdess
new subscriber. we are just now getting into sheep and i'm building a sheep tractor to do intensive rotational grazing. we only have .8 acres to work with for the sheep. I appreciate your scripture verse in the email I got for the paddock size worksheet. I can turn that pdf into a form where you enter in the values and it calculates it for you. I'd be glad to sent it to you if you would like.
I love that suggestion! Could you send details to shepherdess @ HarmonyFarms.blog?
@@theShepherdess you’ve got mail
1000 lb=453,5 kg~0,45 t
43560 sf=4046,8 m2~0,4 ha
I appreciate all that you do but I am having trouble finding my forage dry matter. I know how to calculate stock density or how much forage they need per day. It’s just the forage dry matter. I tried finding grazing stick and I can’t. I don’t want to cut out a square and put it in my microwave. Just wonder how you do it or if it’s just an eyeball test or am I overthinking it.
What number do consider a "safe" number for carrying capacity of the land?
For me it was between 60-80. I am in a rainfall zone of 45”+ inches with mild winters.
Hope this info helps you!
-the Shepherdess
any suggestions to control ticks and those bugs ?? are chickens a good option ?
Chickens and guineas do great for that! Ducks will help tremendously with mosquitos. We have all 3 on our farm.
-the Shepherdess
Howdy!
Could also ask someone at your local college to help find out what the carrying capacity of your land and start from their
Great tip! Thanks for commenting.
-the Shepherdess 🐑🌱
How to get access to the pdf template
How much higher can your overall stocking rate be if you do rotational grazing vs the average farm?
Thank you 😊
It will depend. I start by under-stocking and then move up from there!
I have about 4 acres of field and woods, couldn't I just let a few pigs use the entire area without moving them as this seems to be way more than they need. I'll be getting pasture pigs like kune's
Have you ever used a pasture stick
Not yet!
I bought goats. They won’t eat grass unless I starve them. So I bought sheep. They also appear very selective about which grass they want to eat. I’m about to get rid of animals and buy a mower. Why won’t they eat grass? They both seem to prefer weeds and brush. But I have mostly grass.
I love seeing sheep trained to 1 or 2 hot wires.
So do I, but I must confess I often use 3. 😅
-the Shepherdess🐑🌱
We only have 7 sheep. An electric net fence is our paddock fence and predator protection. As we grow we plan to add a dog then single strand.
so you’re placing 25 sheep on 1700Sf for 24 hours?
That’s my starting point and then I gauge the rest based on how dense or sparse the forage is on that pasture. I’ll make it larger if there isn’t much grass, and smaller if they have shrubs and tree line to browse.
-the Shepherdess🐑🌱
@@theShepherdess I thought you said 25 sheep were 3 animal units. Doesn't that mean 8 sheep per 1724 sq ft per day?