Improve utilisation of grass grown on farm and you can reduce hard feed and fertiliser requirement - both types of inputs have environmental consequences. In addition, we must consider how grazing impacts soil carbon storage - a key element of the climate change challenge.

Grazing animals can be set stocked (left in a field for more than a week at a time) or rotationally grazed (moved through a series of paddocks on a regular basis).  Rotational grazing can be managed with a short rest period (15-21 days through the summer) or a long rest period (60-80 days).  For this factsheet, the short rest period type is termed paddock grazing and long rest period type is termed mob grazing.

Grazing methods

The table below is designed to help categorise the different methods. It is a guide and is not inclusive of all the variations in practice.

	Grazing interval	Rest period*	Grass height target (entry)	Grass height target (exit)	Grass utilisation
Set stocking	over 1 week	N/A	5-8 cm	5-8 cm	50%
Paddock grazing	0.5 days - 1 week	15-30 days	8 -10 cm	5 cm	65 - 80%
Mob-grazing	0.5 days - 1 week	60 - 80 days	30 - 60 cm	10 - 20 cm	50%

* Guide during the growing season, this should be flexible according to the growing conditions

Set Stocking

Set stocking is the most common approach to grazing in Scotland. This is where the stock are left to graze a field for more than a week at a time, often months. Grazing livestock are selective, they will find the grass plants with the greatest energy levels and favour them. This can lead to patchy over grazing in some areas and build up of reject areas too. As a result, the productive species are disadvantaged compared with the lower energy species.

Pros	Cons
Easy management	Less pasture production
Livestock more settled	Inefficient use of pasture
Applicable to challenging terrain	Potential for areas of overgrazing
Better for biodiversity?

Paddock Grazing

Paddock grazing is rising in popularity with availability of improved fencing and water infrastructure products. Under paddock grazing, the livestock are given less choice.  As a result the grazing is more even across the field and productive species are grazed in a way that favours their persistency.

Pros	Cons
Greater pasture productivity	Water and fencing required
Grass quality maintained for longer	Requires planning and flexibility
Better persistence of sown species	Less sward diversity?
Greater stocking rate potential
Easier stock surveillance
Reduced concentrates and fertiliser
More even dung distribution

Mob Grazing

Mob grazing seeks to take a longer term perspective.  Mob graziers are focused on the soil health.  A large proportion of the tall grass that the livestock meet on entry to a field is trampled into the ground. In addition, allowing the grass plant to achieve it’s full reproductive cycle will lead to greater rooting depth. This is all to improve the soil health.  Some farmers have found grazing in this way has enabled them to outwinter without damaging the soil structure.

Pros	Cons
Less issues with parasitic worms	Lowerstocking rate than paddock grazing
Greater sward diversity	Water and fencing required
Better soil health?	Requires careful planning
Longer grazing season	Plan must be flexible
Stock surveillance easier
Reduced concentrates and fertiliser

 

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Our Practical Guides cover five useful topics:

1. Use energy and fuels efficiently
2. Renewable energy
3. Lock carbon into soils and vegetation
4. Making the best use of nutrients
5. Optimise livestock management

  Download a PDF copy of this Practical Guide