Regenerative Grazing System Primer
This information supports the Build a Regenerative Grazing System Contest, but is useful for anyone exploring regenerative grazing options for their operation.
What to know when establishing your regenerative grazing system
What is regenerative grazing?
Practices that rebuild soil, biodiversity with diverse crops and grazing livestock, water retention and infiltration, and economic and social success for operators.
Note: Regenerative grazing may be described by some as rotational, adaptive, managed intensive. These terms all imply practices that are necessary parts of being regenerative.
The perfect paddock
The “perfect paddock”
Has forage, water and fencing
Is grazed 1 to 5 days with the fewest days being the most efficient
Is never grazed lower than 4 inches
Has at least 30 days of rest between grazes
Includes a diversity of forages.
Grazing season
Efforts are made to extend the grazing season. Saving pasture for use during winter grazing is a great feed for cattle. In this video, Trevor Toland explains how he stockpiles Kentucky 31 fescue pastures to graze after late November. This saves on winter hay costs and adds to the soil biology of the fields by distributing manure across the field instead of a lot.
Water sources
Adequate water should be available within 800 feet.
One of the biggest challenges with adaptive grazing is establishing a reliable water system. There are three basic choices: pond, heated waterer, or water tank.
Fencing
Adequate fencing is inexpensive, sometimes temporary, or physically nonexistent.
Perimeter Fencing
Polywire on Perennial Pastures
Virtual Fencing
Access points
All grazing systems require adequate access points.
Stocking rate
Proper density (pounds of livestock per acre of forage) is achieved with the correct stocking rate. The correct density allows for the paddock to be grazed adequately in 1 to 5 days.
Measure the average leaf height. You'll use half that amount for your calculations in order to keep an adequate amount of forage for coverage.
Determine the percentage of forage density in the paddock using a grazing stick.
Formula: Calculating how much dry matter is available
Inches of plant leaf available to graze x Average pounds of dry matterFormula: Calculating pounds of grazing livestock
Average cow weight x Number of head grazingFormula: Calculating pounds of dry matter needed for herd
Total pounds of livestock grazing x Expected % of body weight consumptionFormula: Calculating number of acres in paddock size
Total dry matter needed for herd / Available dry matter per acreFormula: Calculating Stock Density
Total pounds of livestock / Number of acres needed per day
Advantages of regenerative grazing
There are several benefits of regenerative grazing.
More productive forage
Increased stocking rate
Improved livestock performance
Weed control without chemicals
No fence pressure
Improved animal behavior
Less need for fertilizer
Longer grazing season
Ease of management
No soil erosion
Improved water retention and infiltration
Additional resources
Grazing Resource Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Crops and Soils
Grazing 101, National Grazing Lands Coalition
Grazing and Forage Hub, Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition
Educational Resources, National Grazing Lands Coalition
Conservation Practice Grazing Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Using a Grazing Stick to Create a Pasture Inventory, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Stockpile grazing: A strategy for extending the grazing season, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Calculating carrying capacity of a grazing system, University of Wisconsin-Madison