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THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE OF SOIL HEALTH

Livestock Integration the half of the plant remaining following the grazing event.
Managing to leave 50% allows the plant adequate photosyn-
As with any agricultural enterprise, the health of our soil thetic material to recover. This amount will differ given the
is paramount to our success. Integrating livestock is often forage type.
either completely overlooked as an option for farming op- Frequency refers to “how often” to graze. Frequency de-
erations or undervalued as a tool in livestock operations. termines the grazing recovery period. In general, recovery
The opportunity exists to take advantage of grazing man-
agement as a tool to increase ecological function while pro- periods should be long enough to allow the forage to fully
recover before being grazed again. Recovery periods are
viding positive economic returns.
typically shorter during periods of fast growth and longer
Whether we are focused on integrating livestock into a cover when forage growth slows down. Adequate recovery peri-
crop system on cropland or a native rangeland ecosystem, ods are often the factor that drives success or failure in rota-
managing the grazing by properly integrating livestock can tional grazing systems.
have significant impacts on the health of our soil resource.
Properly integrated livestock can aid in nutrient cycling, as Duration refers to “how long” to graze. Duration is in refer-
ence to the actual grazing period. The grazing period length
up to 85% of the nutrients consumed during the grazing pro- depends on the tenants listed above and is largely driven by
cess are returned to the field in the form of manure and urine.
Those nutrients are then distributed across the field by man- time. Overgrazing is a function of time, not intensity. The
grazing period should be timed to limit livestock from graz-
aging paddock access through rotational grazing manage-
ment strategies. These strategies are governed by managing ing the same plant twice. If livestock have access to plants
for “too long”, they will graze them twice during the same
four core tenants of grazing; the timing, intensity, frequency, grazing period limiting recovery.
and duration of the grazing event.

Photo by Brett Peshek

Given a proper overall ranch stocking rate, a tool often
Timing refers to “when” to graze. Specifically, when to overlooked is stock density. Stock density is the number
begin and when to stop grazing. When to start grazing dif-
fers with the forage type and seasonality. In general, begin of animals on a specific area and can be used as a tool to
meet multiple ecological outcomes while providing positive
grazing when enough forage growth has occurred to meet
target demand and allow adequate plant recovery. Stop economic returns. Managing stock density allows the graz-
ing manager the freedom to balance the timing, intensity,
grazing when approximately half by weight of the target frequency, and duration of grazing on any forage type and
species has been removed. Timing also refers to seasonality.
In perennial systems, adjust the rotation so that pastures are ultimately provide positive soil health returns.
grazed at different times in subsequent years.

Intensity refers to “how much” to graze. Most forage spe- By Jeff Goodwin • Ardmore, OK
cies produce double what they need to sustain themselves. Noble Research Institute Conservation Steward-
Hence, 50% of the top growth can be grazed without hinder- ship Leader, and Pasture and Range Consultant.
ing root development. In general, focus should be placed on

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