Cattle, vegetation, and economic responses to grazing systems and grazing pressure

Abstract

Manipulating stocking rate and duration of grazing is fundamental to range management. It has been claimed that rotation grazing systems will increase stocking capacity of range while maintaining or improving animal gains, range condition, and forage production. To test these claims, we compared continuous, 4-pasture rotationally deferred, and 8-paddock short-duration rotation grazing on mixed-grass range near Cheyenne, Wyo. from 1982 through 1987. Grazing pressures ranged from 19 to 81 steer-days per tonne of forage dry matter produced. Steers were weighed biweekly; forage production, utilization, and botanical composition were estimated by clipping; and basal cover was estimated by inclined point frame. Basal cover of litter and bare ground responded to stocking rate or grazing systems, but basal cover of vegetation was affected only by years. Steer average daily gain decreased as grazing pressure increased (r2=0.66); systems had no significant effect. The most profitable stocking rate at 1986-87 costs and prices was approximately 60 to 80% above SCS recommendations, but the increase in return was small and range conditions and forage production probably could not be maintained at this rate.