R o t a t i o n
g r a z i n g
Locmaria Farms’ pastures are grazed in a rotational cell grazing system. Individual grazing areas of between approximately 75 and 100 Ha have been fenced with hardwire boundary fences and each of these grazing areas has then been subdivided into 12 equal cells bounded by 3 wire, drive-over electric fencing. The area of each individual cell is therefore between 6.5 and 8 Ha. Locmaria Farms also has 135Ha of irrigation, 4 pivots and one lateral irrigator ranging from 24-30 Ha each. These too, like our dryland cell systems, are divided into 12 equal cell areas using the 3 wire drive-over electric fencing and a hardwire external fence.
Mobs of ewes and lambs of between from 500 and 4000 animals, depending on the stock class and time of year, are rotated around the 12 cells in each grazing area. The rotations range from 24 to 150 days depending on how fast the grass is growing and the dietary requirements of the animals at that time. On a 24 day rotation, for example, the mob would be moved into a fresh cell every 2 days and at the end of 24 days would be moved back to graze in the first cell in which it started.
On both dry land unirrigated pasture and on irrigated pastures, individual water points have been installed in each cell and when the mobs are rotated, a temporary water trough is moved with them into the next cell.
Grazing plans for all stock rotations are set after considering various factors including the season, the current grass cover, the grass growth prediction, animal dietary requirements. For example, the dietary requirement of a ewe varies across the year, from a lowest requirement in November after lamb weaning to its highest dietary requirement being after lambing in the following July. Rotational cell grazing allows these changing dietary needs to be match to pasture availability by adjusting the rotational grazing length accordingly.
Locmaria Farms manages the rotational cell grazing system to:
Increase the percentage of pasture consumed
Match feed requirements to pasture growth
Maximise the conversion of pasture into meat and fibre
Improve pasture longevity and quality by allowing pasture recovery between grazing.
Ensure that all Locmaria Farms’ pastures rest ungrazed for 11 months per year.
Minimise selective stock grazing and hence inhibiting the growth of pasture weeds
Minimise soil fertility losses by reducing transfer of nutrient to sheep camp sites and water points
Assist in animal health by providing strong nutrition at all times to all animals
Reduces reliance on chemical parasite control by strategically selecting rotation lengths to inhibit parasite life cycles
Lastly but most importantly, rotational cell grazing allows the feed requirements of each animal to be met, meeting Locmaria Farms’ Animal Ethics value.
Pivot Irrigation