ANIM2501 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Livestock Grazing Comparison
Pasture Management: Stocking Rate
Relationship between stocking rate and animal production
Definitions
- Stocking Rate (SR): The number of animal units (au) grazing an area (usually 1ha) at a
particular time.
- Instantaneous stocking rate expressed anim ha-1, sustained stocking rate expressed anim
ha-1 time-1, usually 1 year.
- At high SR use animals/ha, at low SR use ha/animal
- Grazing Pressure (GP): Defined as ratio of feed demand to feed supply.
- GP=DM demand anim-1 day-1 x number of animals ha-1/D.M. Available day-1 ha-1. (Didt
talk about this in lecture)
Definition of animal unit
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Document Summary
Stocking rate (sr): the number of animal units (au) grazing an area (usually 1ha) at a particular time. Instantaneous stocking rate expressed anim ha-1, sustained stocking rate expressed anim ha-1 time-1, usually 1 year. At high sr use animals/ha, at low sr use ha/animal. Grazing pressure (gp): defined as ratio of feed demand to feed supply. Gp=dm demand anim-1 day-1 x number of animals ha-1/d. m. Available day-1 ha-1. (did(cid:374)(cid:859)t talk about this in lecture) Stocking equivalents: one cow = one horse = 7 sheep = 7 goats = 10 roos. Way to make sure stocking rate is good for grass. Accurate assessment of sr which gives maximum gain ha-1. Critical sr interpreted biologically, economically or environmentally. Production ha-1 changes gradually either side of the optimum. Whe(cid:374) (cid:272)o(cid:373)pari(cid:374)g differe(cid:374)t pastures, pasture (cid:449)ith highest (cid:858)a(cid:859) (cid:448)alue a(cid:374)d lo(cid:449)est (cid:858)(cid:271)(cid:859) (cid:448)alue (cid:449)ill be best. Exceptions occur when botanical changes occur with sr.
