Take 1/3, Trample 1/3, Leave 1/3. This is the grazing mantra we try to graze by. Anyone that works with livestock knows this is not a perfect process but some tips for grazing management we try to follow include:
Grass is king, protect the crown! “The primary function of the root crown is storage of energy reserves for the plant. Most people mistakenly think the underground roots have this function, but research has shown this is the job of the root crown. These energy reserves sustain the plant throughout the winter months so that it remains healthy and ready to grow when warm, spring rains and longer days return,” (OSU Extension Service). This crown protection is especially important in fall months. In cool season grasses the crown is about 3” above the ground. We took a suggestion from our friend Melissa Fery from OSU and marked our boots at 3” so when we walk in the pasturewe can visualize the correct stubble height.
Establishing a “sacrifice pasture” – until we have enough established pastures to graze year round, a safe, clean sacrifice pasture is imperative to feed hay during the winter months. This allows the rest of the pastures to rest and heal. The last thing we want is to overgraze our productive pastures. Overgrazing significantly reduces our forage carrying capacity in later months. We have to let our pastures rest to keep leafy material covering the ground to protect the soil and capture sunlight. Leafy plant material literally protects the soil from erosion, allows more water to infiltrate, and enables carbon sequestration.
We try to mimic natural migration through pasture rotation. We use a series of temporary electric fences inside of a larger, more robust exterior fence. We move the bison frequently, working them in about two acre paddocks. Photo below, left day one, right day four.
