LFP 221: Livestock Farm Practice (0+1)

GRAZING MANAGEMENT

• The main objectives of ideal grazing management should be-
  • To maintain the pasture is the highest state of herbage production.
  • To provide the maximum amount of nutrients to the grazing mind.
  • To maintain and fertility.
• Over grazing of a continuous nature is the greatest single factor, which causes deterioration of grasslands. A smaller of well-fed animals is always better than a large number of half-starved ones both for the animals as well as the pasture. Therefore, systems of grazing have to be evolved that will restrict the number of animals let in for grazing at a time.
• In deciding the number of animals given access to the pasture, the carrying capacity of the grassland should be taken into account, which is expressed in terms of area of grassland needed per animal in an average season.
• Allowing grazing to continue indefinitely also causes deterioration, apart from over grazing and early grazing. Even when the number of animals allowed grazing is small, if grazing is of a continuous nature, the effect is a cumulative one. Grazing animals have their preferences for certain more palatable grasses.
• On account of this selective grazing habit, more palatable species tend to get depleted if continuous grazing is allowed.
• To avoid this, grazing has to be achieved only by a rotational grazing system in which , when part of the grassland is subjected to grazing the other part or parts are given rent to recoup. The various grazing systems are described below.