Split-Season Rotation Grazing Study

Project Overview

FW04-017
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2004: $6,647.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2006
Region: Western
State: Oregon
Principal Investigator:
Robert Lozano
Email

Commodities

  • Agronomic: other, grass (misc. perennial), hay
  • Animals: bovine

Practices

  • Animal Production: pasture fertility, range improvement, grazing - rotational, feed/forage
  • Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research
  • Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, agricultural finance, value added
  • Pest Management: physical control
  • Production Systems: integrated crop and livestock systems
  • Soil Management: soil quality/health
  • Sustainable Communities: infrastructure analysis, sustainability measures

    Proposal summary:

    This project will explore the concept of split-season rotational grazing, comparing that system with conventional rotational grazing. The split-season grazing will take place on a cattle ranch where pastures are a mixture of cool-season grasses (fescue, orchardgrass, clover and timothy). The test will involve four sets of calves with average weights of 500 pounds. The control group will graze the irrigated pastures in a conventional rotation system for the full season of 180 days. The other three sets will graze 60 days each in consecutive periods that parallel the control group. Project coordinator Robert Lozano hopes to show that any increased labor in moving and shipping calves after only 60 days will be offset by increased profits and healthier pastures.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.