Livestock Grazing Strategies

Management Strategies for Sustainable Cattle Production in Southern Pastures is a practical resource for scientists, students, and stakeholders who want to understand the relationships between soil-plant interactions and pasture management strategies, and the resultant performance of cow-calf and stocker cattle. This book illustrates the importance of matching cattle breed types and plant hardiness zones to optimize cattle production from forages and pastures. It explains the biologic and economic implications of grazing management decisions made to improve sustainability of pastures and cattle production while being compliant with present and future environmental concerns and cattle welfare programs. Documents the effects of cattle grazing on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints Discusses strategies to enhance soil fertility, soil health, and nutrient cycling in pastures Provides information on the use of stocking rates, stocking strategies and grazing systems to optimize cow-calf production of weaned calves and stockers. Presents innovations in cattle supplementation and watering systems to minimize negative impacts on water and soil health Includes methods for weed control to maintain pasture condition and ecosystem stability Describes management strategies to integrate cattle operations with wildlife sustainability

"This document is a sequel and companion piece to its predecessor, [Livestock Grazing on Western Riparian Areas, 1990]. Together they are designed to foster broader understanding of how improved grazing management on western riparian areas can enhance water quality and overall productivity of rangelands watersheds"--Page 3.

Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th Edition, Volume II will extensively evaluate the current knowledge and information on forage agriculture. Chapters written by leading researchers and authorities in grassland agriculture are aggregated under section themes, each one representing a major topic within grassland science and agriculture. This 7th edition will include two new additional chapters covering all aspects of forage physiology in three separate chapters, instead of one in previous editions. Chapters will be updated throughout to include new information that has developed since the last edition. This new edition of the classic reference serves as a comprehensive supplement to An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, Volume I.

Successfully raise grass-fed cattle and enjoy the benefits of great-tasting beef and a financially stable enterprise. In this comprehensive guide, Julius Ruechel covers every aspect of raising healthy and thriving grass-fed cattle, offering advice on herd selection, pasture management, medical care, necessary equipment, winter grazing, slaughtering procedures, and more. With tips on creating a viable business plan and identifying niche markets for your beef, Ruechel provides everything you need to know to develop a profitable and environmentally sustainable grass-fed cattle operation.

Introduction to Grazing. Grazing Effects on Plants and Soils. Spatial Patterns in Grazing. Manipulation Grazing Distribution. Grazing and Herbivore Nutrition. Grazing Activities and Behavior. Plant Selection in Grazing. Kind and Mix of Grazing Animals. Grazing Animal Intake and Equivalence. Grazing Capacity Inventory. Grazing Intensity. Grazing Seasons. Grazing Systems. Part I. Grazing Systems. Part II. Appendix. Terminology. Literature Cited. Index of Plants. Subject Index. Key Features * Comparison of types of grazing land with grazing animals. * Evaluation of productivity of forage plants under different grazing regimes. * Examination of specialized grazing systems * Development of inventories of grazing resources * Determination of nutritive quality of various forages * Sustainability of forage plant vigor and productivity

SIMPLE questions often help us to understand problems better; and I think it indispensable, at the beginning of this work, to ask a question which appears simple in the extreme: "What is grazing?" The answer is generally as follows: "Causing grass to be eaten by an animal." That is correct! But here is another answer which, to my mind, is more realistic: "Causing the grass and the animal to meet." Since this book is almost exclusively concerned with grazing by cattle, I propose the following definition to the reader, requesting him to allow it to become well impressed upon his mind: Grazing is the meeting of cow and grass. It is by satisfying as far as possible the demands of both parties that we will arrive at a rational grazing, which will provide us with maximum productivity on the part of the grass while at the same time allowing the cow to give optimum performance. [From the Introduction]