North Central US | A&M - 2/20/2026 22:24
I don’t rotationally graze. I don’t know anyone that does with cattle or sheep here in Colorado or further west. Iv always assumed it was more an eastern wet/hot climate practice. The reason I even bring it up is Iv got a cousin back east in Illinois that’s an NRCS agent and she’s super big on it there. She tells me all the time we would grow 2x the forage and have healthier sheep and cattle. But I politely remind her we are running on 6” of rain. Not 30”. I just don’t see how 2x the forage is even possible. I think they do this on 10-30 acre “paddocks” with electric wire. We’re most of us I assume work with full sections 640 hooked together and have to work with these darn sand hills. I could level with her on the idea but that’s a massive amount of fencing on a lot of lower production ground. I’m curious if any sheep or cattle guys have given it a try? I’m happy with my summer grazing, it’s worked for us for several generations and don’t want to change but curious if any has tried. Would try it on the sheep first if anything.
On some land we went through the equip program that has all the little tiny pastures. Absolutely a PITA as you are supposed to rotate every 5 to 7 days. According to them you basically graze to nothing then move, you don't want them eating the same plant twice. If you go through that program they will absolutely push permanent cross fences, but you can push back for just electric. When the contract is done most if not all those cross fences are going. Way too crowded and someone is always on the wrong side.
You're forgetting the biggest part of that, however: water. The water system was more than anything else cost wise and has been problematic ever since.
Our actual rotational grazing is putting cows on hay fields that are on their way out a few years before breaking. |
Any western range operations rotationally grazing?
