By MEGGIE. I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

COLUMBUS, Ind. — For a producer raising livestock in a confined or dry lot feeding facility, the idea of transitioning to a management-intensive grazing situation might as well be a foreign language.
But according to grazing Specialists Susannah Hinds and Robert Zupancic, of the Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service, it’s more simple than it appears, saves labor, reduces overall feed costs and increases profitability. Zupancic and Hinds spoke during the Heart of America Grazing conference on Jan. 22.

Hinds defined management-intensive grazing as a strategy that provides control of grazing animals, emphasizing the intensive management of multiple paddocks.

“I really want you to notice the hyphen (management-intensive grazing) because this is a thinking man’s game, it’s up to you when they (animals) graze and what’s best for your animals,” said Hinds.
Simply, Hinds said to get started, you just need basic paddocks set-up and then spilt them in half. Zupancic advised taking an aerial photo of the farm and then drawing lines for the desire paddock areas.

“The cows will teach you pretty quickly if it’s too big or small,” he said.

According to Hinds and Zupancic, there is no special formula for the number of animals in each paddock. However, by increasing the number of animals, you will reduce the amount of patch grazing. Hinds also advised grazing each 1-2 acre paddock 4-5 days each, limiting regrazing.

“Once you get into it, you can add more paddocks,” she said.
A producer would also need to consider an approximate number of days that each paddock will be able to “rest,” also known as a period of time when the paddock is not being grazed on.

“By allowing all the paddocks to rest, you will keep the healthy residue you need for regrowth,” she added, recommending a 30-day rest period, depending on the number of paddocks and sizes.
Another key to getting started is providing an adequate amount of cool, clean water.

“If animals go without water for several days, you’ve got a huge problem on your hands,” said Zupancic.

He said that a supply of water needs to be close, within at least 800-1200-feet of the grazing animals.

Other critical decisions to keep in mind include the gallons per head, available drinking space and the walking distance between grazing areas and watering sites. In July and August, animals could require as much as much as 30 gallons per 1,000 pounds of body weight per day, especially if the food source is dry, Zupancic explained.

Further considerations include: what source of water is available (pond, spring, well, rural water), where is water located in relation to the watering points (uphill, downhill, distance), how many animals and what is the average size and the size of the water tank.
Zupancic said that while springs and wells typically have the highest water quality, it can be very limiting on quantity certain times of the year. And if the waterer is located downhill then gravity will move the water, but if it’s uphill a producer will need some type of power source to move the water.

“You will need to decide whether you want to design a permanent water system, flexible or a hybrid of both,” he explained. “I think a system of both works the best. A flexible system gives you unlimited water tanks, it’s more cost-effective and you don’t have to trench water lines. It’s great for summer paddocks when you don’t need to worry about water lines freezing. While the permanent system works great for paddocks you will have forever and it’s freeze proof for winter grazing.”

As for fencing, Zupancic said there are 500 different kinds of fence to choose from. “I would recommend meeting with a fencing rep and discussing the options,” he said. “You can spend as much or as little as you want, there are a lot of cheap options available.”
For more information, Zupancic recommends visiting with a NRCS grazing specialist, consulting with a local Purdue Cooperative Extension Service or attending a local pasture walk or field day.

Both Hinds and Zupancic said the key to a successful management-intensive grazing operation, is to keep the livestock moving across the farm to adequately rest the forages for maximum regrowth and to properly fertilize pastures for maximum growth.