Grazing Equations

by Gene Gade

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"THERE IS A BASIC EQUATION THAT MUST BE APPLIED WHEN ANIMALS GRAZE RANGELANDS...AND (LOOKING OVER THE GLASSES WITH AN EYEBROW RAISED) IT ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE:"

"PLANT PRODUCTION MUST BE EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF PLANTS THAT THE ANIMALS EAT... OR THE GRAZING SYSTEM VILL GO KAPUT!":

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE.   ON ONCE THERE WERE PLANTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS FENCE THAT COULD PRODUCE ABOUT 1000 POUNDS OF FOOD THAT COULD BE EATEN BY ANIMALS PER ACRE PER YEAR....:

UNFORTUNATELY THE ANIMALS GRAZING ON THIS SIDE OF THE FENCE, NEEDED MANY TIMES THAT MUCH FOOD  IN JUST A FEW DAYS.

 THE RESULT, NO MORE GOOD PLANTS...JUST WEEDS AND BARE DIRT

BY SAH WAY, THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR SAH ANIMALS EITHER:

SO, REMEMBER, IF YOU WANT TO GRAZE ANIMALS ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU SHOULD BEGIN WITH A REALISTIC ASSESSMENT OF HOW MUCH FORAGE THE PASTURE CAN PRODUCE AND HOW MUCH THE ANIMALS NEED TO EAT.  IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP BOTH THE PASTURE AND YOUR ANIMALS HEALTHY:  I'M GENE GADE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE