A Comparison of Continuous and Rotational Grazing

Abstract

Continuous and rotational grazing of a brome-alfalfa-creeping red fescue pasture was compared at the University of Alberta Ranch in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978. Productivity, in terms of animal weight gain and dry-matter consumption, was studied together with changes in the sward composition. In 1977 and 1978 the weight gains from the rotationally grazed areas were nearly double those obtained from continuous grazing (218 vs 119 kg/ha). The percentage by weight of alfalfa in the sward increased under rotational grazing from 23 to 47%. The herbage in the rotationally grazed field was more digestible and contained more calcium, magnesium, copper, and crude protein than did that in the continuously grazed area. Animals in the continuously grazed fields spent 2.4 hours longer per day grazing than did the animals which were rotationally grazed.