RDFF
Well-known member
IMHO, I wouldn't get too caught up in alot of "permanent divisions". You need to keep it as simple and FLEXIBLE as possible. I assume you're 40 is a quarter of a quarter (1/4 mile x 1/4 mile)? Put subdivision fences at reasonable widths going away from your water (I assume you've got water at the yard, along one side of your acreage). Leave both ends of these subdivision fences OPEN.... forget the backfencing behind them and use this "headland area" as a lane to access your water, wherever that is located, and let the cows go to the water, the exercise will be good for them. My "headlands" are 80' wide. Use polywire reels to close off the strips that you don't want them in.
Currently, I'm intensively/rotationally/adaptively grazing about 150 head (calves included) on 210 acres of converted cropland, and 2/3 of this was it's initial "seeding year". The rest is in its second grazing year. I'm right now fencing in another 80 acres for the same. I also took the first cutting off of the first year pasture area (fall seeded winter rye, spring frost seeded oats, clovers, alfalfas, hairy vetch, 5 different grasses, and kale) as bales which I will use for feed this winter when my stockpiled feed runs out.
I have the farm perimeter fenced with a 3 wire HT electric, and then subdivided into strips 215' wide x 1/2 mile long with single wire HT. I like that width... it's really easily managed, really easy to string out/take up a poly wire of that length, and you only need 3-4 lightweight posts to make a move each time, but it's not a magic number, ...make them whatever width you're comfortable with, and remember that fences require maintenance, and often, the cattle won't graze underneath that wire the way that they will in the rest of the pasture... you might end up needing to mow under them.
I currently make my cattle walk back to water located in one spot for the entire farm, sometimes as much as over a mile, but I'm planning to make it so that they still have to "walk" some, but not through the "lane" on the end of the strips... only back across what they've already grazed (so I'd put a waterer AT THE LANE on the end of every other subdivision fence, so they'd only have to walk a maximum of 1/2 mile)... the walking isn't a problem for the cows at all, and is actually GOOD for them, it's the damage that the walking does to the pasture, especially in the lane on the end, which they have to use EVERY DAY, no matter what strip they're grazing in... putting a waterer at the lane on every other subdivision fence will eliminate the "daily use" problem, and the "strip" that they use would only have traffic on it for 3 days, and could then be allowed to recover once they're off of it). I just give them as much of a strip as I think they'll need for the day, or for 12 hours if shifting 2x/day. In my setup, I don't ever let them stay on any one strip for more than 3 days... someone else above said 7.. I disagree, after 3 days, the regrowth is coming already, and they'll be nipping it away again. Not more than 3 days on the potential for regrazing... if you allow them to regraze the regrowth, you'll pay for it on grass yield the next time around, and potentially for years. I don't use a backfence on the strip that they're grazing on, but give them "new grass" every 12 (2x/day) to AT LEAST every 24 hours (1x/day), and after 3 days, get them onto the next strip. They will ALWAYS prefer grazing in that new break area, and really don't want anything to do with what's already been grazed (soiled and trafficked), as long as they're not on that strip for more than 3 days.
When the grass is growing fast, give them considerably MORE than they could possibly consume. They'll just take the tips off. I don't care at all if I'm leaving 3/4 or even more of the growth behind them at these times.... the key then is to MOVE THEM, fast, and often, and keep them moving. When the grass slows down, then so do the cows (because I slow them down), and then, all that grass that I left behind on the last pass is still there waiting for them... but it's CLEAN and recovered beautifully... even if it's a VERY short rotation... like 2 weeks. It's recovered BECAUSE you left so much behind them. It still had plenty of blade left to photosynthesize... it didn't have to slough off roots in order to get the energy to regrow.
Currently, I'm intensively/rotationally/adaptively grazing about 150 head (calves included) on 210 acres of converted cropland, and 2/3 of this was it's initial "seeding year". The rest is in its second grazing year. I'm right now fencing in another 80 acres for the same. I also took the first cutting off of the first year pasture area (fall seeded winter rye, spring frost seeded oats, clovers, alfalfas, hairy vetch, 5 different grasses, and kale) as bales which I will use for feed this winter when my stockpiled feed runs out.
I have the farm perimeter fenced with a 3 wire HT electric, and then subdivided into strips 215' wide x 1/2 mile long with single wire HT. I like that width... it's really easily managed, really easy to string out/take up a poly wire of that length, and you only need 3-4 lightweight posts to make a move each time, but it's not a magic number, ...make them whatever width you're comfortable with, and remember that fences require maintenance, and often, the cattle won't graze underneath that wire the way that they will in the rest of the pasture... you might end up needing to mow under them.
I currently make my cattle walk back to water located in one spot for the entire farm, sometimes as much as over a mile, but I'm planning to make it so that they still have to "walk" some, but not through the "lane" on the end of the strips... only back across what they've already grazed (so I'd put a waterer AT THE LANE on the end of every other subdivision fence, so they'd only have to walk a maximum of 1/2 mile)... the walking isn't a problem for the cows at all, and is actually GOOD for them, it's the damage that the walking does to the pasture, especially in the lane on the end, which they have to use EVERY DAY, no matter what strip they're grazing in... putting a waterer at the lane on every other subdivision fence will eliminate the "daily use" problem, and the "strip" that they use would only have traffic on it for 3 days, and could then be allowed to recover once they're off of it). I just give them as much of a strip as I think they'll need for the day, or for 12 hours if shifting 2x/day. In my setup, I don't ever let them stay on any one strip for more than 3 days... someone else above said 7.. I disagree, after 3 days, the regrowth is coming already, and they'll be nipping it away again. Not more than 3 days on the potential for regrazing... if you allow them to regraze the regrowth, you'll pay for it on grass yield the next time around, and potentially for years. I don't use a backfence on the strip that they're grazing on, but give them "new grass" every 12 (2x/day) to AT LEAST every 24 hours (1x/day), and after 3 days, get them onto the next strip. They will ALWAYS prefer grazing in that new break area, and really don't want anything to do with what's already been grazed (soiled and trafficked), as long as they're not on that strip for more than 3 days.
When the grass is growing fast, give them considerably MORE than they could possibly consume. They'll just take the tips off. I don't care at all if I'm leaving 3/4 or even more of the growth behind them at these times.... the key then is to MOVE THEM, fast, and often, and keep them moving. When the grass slows down, then so do the cows (because I slow them down), and then, all that grass that I left behind on the last pass is still there waiting for them... but it's CLEAN and recovered beautifully... even if it's a VERY short rotation... like 2 weeks. It's recovered BECAUSE you left so much behind them. It still had plenty of blade left to photosynthesize... it didn't have to slough off roots in order to get the energy to regrow.
