Rotational grazing can help Kentucky farmers increase forage productivity, which can increase yield of animal products per acre and may increase profit margins for forage-based farming systems. At the same time, rotational grazing has the potential to:

• Reduce cost of machinery, fuel, and facilities.
• Reduce supplemental feeding and pasture waste.
• Improve monthly pasture distribution and yield.
• Improve animal waste distribution and nutrient use.
• Improve pastures’ botanical composition.
• Minimize daily fluctuations in intake and quality.

Allocate pasture to animals more efficiently, based on animal nutritional needs.

For this and over 150 other forage publications go to UK Forage Extension website, http://www.uky.edu/ag/forage.

The orchardgrass plant on the left was clipped weekly to 1 inch for one month to simulate continuous grazing. The orchardgrass plant on the right was clipped at the beginning and end of the month to 3.5 inches to simulate rotational grazing. For the plant on the right, the value of rotational grazing is apparent after six days of regrowth.