Holistic High Density Mob Grazing

This video shows a paddock before, during and after mob grazing. In the mob are cows, calves, yearlings, and 2 year old steers.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Holistic
• High
• Density
• Grazing
• Mob
• Grass
• Finished
• Devons

[dnortunen]

You want them to eat roughly half and leave half and the part that is left should be trampled so it is in contact with the ground. Move them when they get 1/2 eaten and then look at how much is trampled. If not enough then you want to use higher densities or less than 1/2 an acre. Keep experimenting and watch the animals and the ground. If you get rain then put them in a much larger area. You can really damage the ground if you have too high a density with wet ground.

Hope this helps.

[dnortunen]

Unfortunately that is the correct answer. It varies. A lot. Depends on how much grass you have and how much rain. There are a ton of variables and a lot of it is trial and error and there are not very many cut in stone rules. That said you will never know if you don't start somewhere. I would start out with low numbers say around 50-100,000 pounds per acre or in your case assuming the 23 cows average 1,000 pounds then I would put them on roughly 1/2 an acre.

[GeorgieBK]

Hi there!

Where is your farm located? latitude/longitude? Is this a summer/spring grazing? When you say 300,000 lbs/acre...how long do you keep them in there? Have you been any trouble with calves left behind/walked over by large animals? What do you do about water? How long before cattle comes back to this strip of land? How long have you been doing it? Are you measuring weight gain/animal? I'm about to start so keen to know from your experience!! Kind Regards, George

[dnortunen]

@GeorgieBK

I am located in Northern WI about 12 miles from Lake Superior. 46° 35' 33" N / 90° 53' 2" W. I was moving them every 6 hours. Calves don't get left behind because I will move the wire back and around them each time to make sure they get in the next break. The wire is high enough though, that the rebels will run in and out all the time by going under the polywire. No problems with getting walked on. Cattle will come back anywhere from 75 to 120 days later.

[dnortunen]

@GeorgieBK

I have a plastic water line running down the middle of the paddock with quick disconnects on it to quickly move the tank. I'll create another video of that and post it sometime. I have been grazing for 7 years and mob grazing for 3. I split up my yearlings this year, some in the mob and some at another farm and will weigh both groups to check their ADG. My calves average about 2 pounds per day from birth to weaning. Send me your email and I'll give you my number if you want.

[turuanu]

If I borrow the neighbor's cows I can have up to 23 cows of different ages and sizes. Don't know their weight. How small an enclosure should I make every day with the wire? No one is able to tell me. They all say it varies. Thanks.