At first glance this stock tank behind me just appears to be a place for a cow to get a drink.  While it serves that purpose it’s also an important tool in grazing management. Water tanks, fences, and nutritional supplements are often referred to as Range Improvements.  They serve their obvious functions, but they also help distribute livestock.

Proper livestock distribution helps managers ensure that livestock are grazing where and when it’s best for them.  In dry country this can sometimes be done by placing water sources in areas where managers want livestock to be.  Since livestock are reluctant to travel too far from water they remain in the area. Protein blocks, salt licks and other supplements can also aid in keeping livestock in a certain area. Fencing obviously helps with livestock distribution.  Some livestock producers use electric fences that are moved frequently in intensively managed pastures.  This restricts cattle to a small portion of a pasture at a time, but they are moved often. 

Range Improvements are tools livestock managers use to rest pastures, rotate their use, and manage toward their objectives.  Range improvements and proper management can lead toward healthy plants in pastures and good animal performance. From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, I’m Barton Stam.