University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station


Electro-net fencing works well for control of rest periods in grazing management.


growing lamb or heifer.
 The key to maximizing produc-
tivity of pastures and reducing losses
from animal impacts is understand-
ing that pasture species differ in their
tolerance to grazing. Also there is a
give and take between pastures and
livestock that can be considered
when prescribing a level of grazing
management that best addresses
those needs.

GRAZING MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES
 Grazing managers usually
determine before-hand what forages
to graze (i.e., adaptability of the
forage to their location), what inputs
(i.e., weed control, fencing, and
fertilization) are more feasible, and
what type of livestock will do the
grazing. Knowing the needs of the
farm enterprise, important decisions
to be made by grazing managers are
the grazing intensity and frequency
of grazing to be applied on a
particular forage.
 An important decision when


managing your pasture is how close
to graze. The stubble height to graze
varies among pasture species. The
stubble height selected will deter-
mine whether the plants will have
enough leaf or living buds available
for regrowth after each grazing
event. The closeness of grazing can
be determined by the stocking rate
that you choose or by the decision to
graze to a selected stubble height
[e.g., 6" (15-cm) from ground level].
Bunch-type grasses (i.e., guineagrass)
should be grazed to a taller stubble
height than low-growing grasses
(i.e., bahiagrass). If guineagrass is
grazed too closely the stand can be
damaged. If not grazed closely
enough, animal production per acre
will be limited, and it is likely the
nutritional value of the forage will be
reduced.
 Sensitivity of the pasture to
overgrazing and sensitivity of the
animals to periods of insufficient
forage are critical. For example, in
the USVI, hurricanegrass
(Boithriocloapertusa) can be grazed


considerably closer than guineagrass.
If there is a shortage of pasture and
both grasses are grazed to the
ground, hurricanegrass will regrow
but the guineagrass stand will not.
Each situation requires thought and
the knowledge of how both the
forage in your area and animal will
respond. No one guideline can be
used for all forages or all types of
animals.
 Other important factors affect-
ing the choice of grazing intensity
are related to the amount of
flexibility that a grazing manager
has to adjust animal numbers or to
supply hay. Under conditions where
pasture is the only source of feed and
the number of animals cannot be
profitably adjusted by buying or
selling, then stocking should be done
conservatively. If there is potential
and profit in conserving forage as
hay, or adjusting animal numbers,
then there is less risk in stocking at a
rate that would be appropriate for the
average year.
 When considering how often to
graze your pastures, the method of
stocking, either continuous or rota-
tional, plays an important role.
Rotational stocking indicates that a
pasture is divided into two or more
subunits (paddocks), and the pad-
docks are regularly grazed and
rested in an orderly sequence (e.g.,
7-d grazing and 28-d rest period).
Continuous stocking occurs when
the pasture is not subdivided and
cattle are given continuous access to
the entire area (no rest period from
grazing).
 Rotational stocking may be
 preferred over continuous because
 the grazing manager can control the
 rest periods. Some advantages of
 rotational grazing are that longevity
 of the forage is usually improved,
 there is timely utilization of the
 forage, and the grazing manager has
 options for stockpiling and conserv-