Often, there will be more than one objective for grazing and may also include short-range or long-range goals. Goals for your rangelands, which may be different among pastures, may involve animal production, rangeland health, reduction of invasive annual grasses or weeds, pasture dispersion, etc. Take into consideration annual precipitation each year and how it affects annual forage production.įrom this information, animal unit months (AUMs) can be calculated to fit available forage in each pasture, allowing you to make informed decisions about the number of animals a unit can support, at what time of the season and for what duration. There may also be types of forages that make up a portion of the total annual forage production that have low nutritional quality, or low palatability, and may not be suitable to include when evaluating resources for livestock. If you are seeing a shift away from bunchgrass toward an abundance of cheatgrass, you know you need to adapt your management in an attempt to reduce the cheatgrass and encourage perennial grass establishment.Īdditionally, available forages may vary in the timing of their peak growth, such as cool-season or warm-season grasses. When in a healthy condition, these grasses have deep roots that stabilize soils and combat invasive species. For example, the most essential vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem are large perennial bunchgrasses.
Understanding the state of your rangelands is key to good management. Threats to the landscape (invasive annual grasses and weeds, conifer encroachment, etc.).Total expected annual forage production per acre.Current and past conditions of the rangelands.For each pasture (both private and public land), determine: Ask the Consultant: Capture more rainfall through grazing managementĮvaluate your resources.
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