Livestock · March 2025 · 6 min read
Rotational grazing moves livestock through a series of paddocks on a planned schedule, allowing grazed pastures time to recover. This approach improves forage quality, increases carrying capacity, and builds soil health compared to continuous grazing.
Divide your total pasture acreage into enough paddocks to allow each one a rest period of twenty-five to forty-five days during the growing season. Water access in every paddock is essential, whether through permanent lines, portable tanks, or centrally located water points. Square or rectangular paddocks are the easiest to fence and graze uniformly.
Move livestock when the forage has been grazed down to about four inches, leaving enough leaf area for rapid regrowth. During peak spring growth, rest periods may be as short as twenty days, while summer dormancy may require forty-five days or more. Monitoring grass height and density is more reliable than following a fixed calendar.
Single-strand polywire with step-in posts is the most affordable way to subdivide existing perimeter-fenced pastures into temporary paddocks. Energizers should deliver at least 4,000 volts on the fence line to keep cattle reliably contained. Permanent high-tensile electric fencing makes sense for lanes and paddock boundaries that will remain in place for years.
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