Guidelines for Setting Proper Stocking Rate. Natural & Human Resources Grazing Management Decisions Community Response Climate Topography Veg. Community.

Guidelines for Setting “Proper” Stocking Rate

Natural &Human

Resources

GrazingManagement Decisions

Community Response

Climate

Topography

Veg. Community

Wildlife

Mgmt. Philosophy& Goals

LivestockSpecies• cattle, sheep, goats

or horses

Stocking Rate• how many

animals

Grazing System• season of grazing• season of rest• duration of grazing

Vegetation Community

Livestock Production

Wildlife Community

Important point: Once grazing management decisions are made, there

are continual interactions between livestock, wildlife, & vegetation

Four Grazing Mgmt Factors: Number of Animals (How Many?) Type of Animal (What?) Time of Grazing (When?) Duration or Length of Grazing (How Long?)

Carrying Capacity The number of animals that a piece of land

can support on a long-term basis without causing damage to the ecosystem. Land and vegetation determine grazing capacity Expressed as animals/area/year (usually acres

per AUM per year) Land is usually bought and sold on this basis

Stocking Rate The number of animals a land manager places

on a piece of land for a specified period of time. Must include 3 elements:

Number of animals or Animal Unit Specific area (acres or hectares) Specific period of time (days or months)

Most important grazing decision because it affects:

AUE #/AUCow = 1 1Horse = 1.8 .56Yearling Steer = .75 1.3Sheep = .2 5Jackrabbit = .02 50

Animal Unit Equivalent (AUE) = A conversion factor reflecting the # of AU in an average animal

Animal Unit (AU) 1,000 pounds of grazing animal … ruminant

Forage Demand of Animal

Ruminants Eat 2.5% of body

weight/day in dry matter of forage.

Cattle, sheep, goats Deer, elk, bighorn sheep,

moose, etc.

Hind-Gut Fermentors Eat 3.5% of body

weight/day in dry matter of forage.

Horses Rabbits and rodents

Animal Unit Month (AUM) Amount of forage an AU will eat in a month

How many pounds is this? AU = 1,000 pound of ruminant grazing animal Ruminants eat 2.5% of body weight each day 30 days in a month

1,000 lb ×2.5% ×30 days = 750 lbs of forage

Range Health standpointProper Stocking Rate?

Basis for Stocking Rates Proper stocking based on maintaining

sufficient plant residue for: Maintain soil condition

Reduce erosion Add organic matter

Photosynthetic material to provide carbohydrates for recover

Forage for other animals in ecosystem

Utilization Guidelines: Based on ecological research

% Use of Major Plants30-4040-5030-4030-40

Range Type

Sagebrush grasslandsShortgrass prairieConiferous ForestOak woodlands

Research shows that an amount of biomass can be removed each year and the plant can still regrow and sustain itself from year to year.

These “sustainable” levels of utilization are called “Proper Use Factors”

% Grass Plan Removed % Root Growth Reduction

10% 0%

20% 0%

30% 0%

40% 0%

50% 2-4%

60% 50%

70% 78%

80% 100%

90% 100%

http://forestandrange.org/modules/livestockwildlife/edu/Presentation6.ppt

Basis for “Allowable Use” or “Recommended Use” Level

Total Forage × Recommended Use = Usable Forage Supply

Heavy use ≠ Overgrazing Overgrazing = repeated heavy grazing such that

damage to the plant community occurs.

Overstocking = heavy grazing during a specific season such that high levels of utilization are observable.

Overstocking does not always lead to Overgrazing

For Rangeland Health: Set Stocking Rates Below Carrying Capacity

Healthy soil. Slows weedy plant invasion. Improves drought resistance. Improves condition of degraded land.

Animal Production standpoint

Proper Stocking Rate?

Stocking rate affects cattle gains:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

stocking rate

Production per animal

Stocking rate affects cattle gains:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

stocking rate

Production per animal

• Competition for existing forage• High quality forage reduced and animals need to each lower quality plants• Animals need to work harder and travel farther for forage• Increased stress and interaction with other animals can increase disease

Stocking rate affects total production:

0102030405060708090

100

stocking rate

Production per acre

Proper stocking rate?

020406080

100120

Low

Moder

ate

Exces

sive

stocking rate

maximumper animal

maximumper acre

Proper stocking rate?

020406080

100120

Low

Moder

ate

Exces

sive

stocking rate

maximumper animal

maximumper acre

Optimal Stocking Rate –

between max/animal

and max/acre

For Livestock Production: Set Stocking Rates At or Below Carrying Capacity

Desirable production per animal Optimal production of animals per acre What is “Desirable” or “Optimal” depends on

the managers goals and objectives.

How do you set stocking rate? Balance supply with demand

Simple Four–Step Method

4-step or Forage Demand Method Calculate usable forage Adjust for terrain, water, or other constraints Calculate forage demand of animals Calculate stocking rate

4-step or Forage Demand MethodThe forage demand method is used: When you have no stocking information from

previous years To estimate carrying capacity in biological

surveys or land appraisal When considering changes in kind or class of

animals

Establish stocking rate based on: Past experience Current situation Long-range weather forecast Financial goals Etc.

Set a Stocking Rate and Then Monitor!

With this method stocking rate is determined by trial and error over years and then monitored by:

Range Trend = changes in plant composition or rangeland health over time

Grazing Principles Which animal -Animal Species & Class How may animals –Stocking Rate When to grazing or not graze -Grazing System

Match number and type of animal to the rangeland vegetation, topography and climate