Developing a Grazing Management Plan and Monitoring - Factsheet 6 of 6 in the Pasture and Range Assessment Series - BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands


	Factsheet 6 of 6 in the Pasture and Range Assessment Series DEVELOPING A GRAZING MANAGEMENT PLAN AND MONITORING Grazing Management Plan A carefully prepared and implemented Grazing Management Plan will help alleviate environmental concerns with respect to livestock grazing and help maintain pasture and range health. Grazing management plans are important components of any operation. A well-designed plan can improve or maintain pasture and range health as well as forage production while optimizing plant and animal performance. Most importantly, plans should ensure profitability by being practical, flexible, and simple to operate. Grazing management plans should have the following components: A definition of goals including livestock production and pasture and range sustainability. Examples of pasture and range sustainability goals include maintaining pasture, range, and riparian health and/or reducing weed and poisonous plant problems. A map of grazing areas including tame and native pastures and all developments such as fences, gates, water sources, etc. The type and number of livestock being grazed in the pastures. Approximate period of use for each pasture. Where will the animals be moved? That is, the sequence of use of pastures. Livestock Performance Grazing management plans should strive to achieve livestock performance objectives. Grazing affects livestock performance primarily by influencing animal nutrition. Nutrition is dependant on forage quantity and quality. Forage quantity is the amount of forage that is available to the grazing animal at the time of turnout and thus determines how long you are able to maintain your animals in a particular pasture (stocking rate). For example, in most cases the amount of forage available in early spring is less than the amount available in the summer. It is extremely important to set stocking rates according to forage quantity and availability. Forage quality, which varies depending on plant species, growth stage, soil, climate, and grazing management, also influences stocking rates. For example, during the spring and early summer forage quality is generally at its peak. This allows the grazing animal, when compared to other seasons, to achieve optimum performance with less forage and little or no supplementation. Optimizing Plant Performance Grazing management plans should also be based on the physiological and reproductive requirements of the plants. Most forages are adapted to grazing, but are stressed by grazing. The ability of an individual plant to survive this stress is dependant on numerous factors including: Whether or not the plant is native or tame. The number of times it is grazed (frequency). The amount of plant material that remains after grazing (intensity; stubble height). The amount of rest the plant is given following grazing and the amount of moisture and nutrients available. A good management plan acknowledges that native plants are typically less tolerant to grazing than tame species. The plan should also recognize the need to control the frequency and intensity of grazing and most importantly, recognize the need for rest following grazing. This rest period is needed in order to maintain forage productivity as well as pasture and range health. Economics Grazing management plans must also be economical. Every improvement, including fencing, fertilization, water developments, etc., must be carefully planned to produce positive economic returns. These returns can come in many forms, such as decreased labour, increased forage production, increased forage availability, and corresponding increases in animal productivity. Flexibility Finally, as with all business and resource management plans, it is extremely important to ensure that a plan is practical, reasonably simple, and flexible. Flexibility is important since it allows you to deal with market fluctuations as well as any fluctuations in forage production (i.e., drought, fire, etc.). Rules of Thumb Grazing management plans should be site-specific and correspond to ranch and farm conditions as well as plan objectives. Grazing schedules should be based on the physical and biological characteristics of a site. That is, when determining the timing, frequency, duration, and intensity of livestock grazing the following should be considered: Adequate plant cover and leaf material should be maintained in order to promote photosynthesis, water infiltration, conserve soil moisture, and maintain soil stability Plant structure should also be encouraged in order to maintain the nutrient and water cycles and maximize pasture production by using sunlight, water, and nutrients from different zones in the canopy and soil. Plant structure also provides habitat for numerous wildlife species including browsing opportunities for ungulates and feeding and nesting sites for birds and small mammals. Spring grazing should be deferred until after new leaf growth has begun or, if taking advantage of the previous year’s forage production, before spring growth begins. If possible, limit grazing periods. The shorter the grazing period, the more likely that leaf regrowth will occur and carbohydrate reserves will be replenished before the next grazing period. Grazing schedules should provide periodic rest from grazing during critical growth periods. Rest times should match the ability of the plant species to recover from grazing. This promotes plant vigour, reproduction, and productivity. Also keep in mind that native plants need a longer recovery time than tame species. Grazing schedules should prevent the increase and spread of invasive plants. This includes promoting conditions that facilitate the establishment and maintenance of desirable plants. Monitoring What is Monitoring? Monitoring is the orderly collection, analysis and interpretation or resource data to evaluate progress toward meeting management objectives such as increased livestock production. This process must be conducted over time in order to determine whether or not management objectives are being met. Why Monitor? Monitoring, while labour intensive, is an important component of any grazing management plan. It provides measurables that allow one to determine whether the objectives of the plan are being met. Without it, one is unable to determine what effect grazing has had on the health of tame pastures or native range. This includes determining the trend, or changes, occurring in the condition of your grazinglands. When do I Monitor? All monitoring programs should be: Repeated at regular time intervals. Ideal monitoring times in British Columbia vary from May to September depending on location. Conducted before grazing with follow-up monitoring being conducted under similar conditions and if possible at the same time each year. By repeating the assessments in Factsheets 3 and 4 of this series, you can monitor the trend of your grazing lands and highlight the successes or failures of your grazing management practices. Increases in your assessment score indicate a positive trend whereas reductions indicate a negative trend. Note that changes in your assessment score may be due to not only your management practices but also changes in climate, insect and wildlife populations. In addition to this assessment, you may want to consider adding other methods of monitoring to your program. If you wish to do this, consider adding both long-term and short-term components to the monitoring system. Long-term monitoring generally takes place every one to five years whereas short-term monitoring may be repeated at any time interval. Overall, it is important that any monitoring program be both systematic and rigorous. For more information on Monitoring, please refer to Grazing Management Factsheet – No. 7, Monitoring Options. The establishment of photo-points is recommended for all monitoring programs. The section below provides information on how to establish photo-points. For further information contact: Darren Bruhjell Phone: 250 371-6058 Email: Darren.Bruhjell@gov.bc.ca Back to Range Factsheets Back to Industry Competitiveness Branch Home