Mob Grazing: What is it all about? Alexander “Sandy” Smart © 2014 Board of Regents, South...

17
Mob Grazing: What is it all about? Alexander “Sandy” Smart © 2014 Board of Regents, South Dakota State University iGrow.org

Transcript of Mob Grazing: What is it all about? Alexander “Sandy” Smart © 2014 Board of Regents, South...

Page 1: Mob Grazing: What is it all about? Alexander “Sandy” Smart © 2014 Board of Regents, South Dakota State University iGrow.org.

© 2014 Board of Regents, South Dakota State University iGrow.org

Mob Grazing: What is it all about?

Alexander “Sandy” Smart

Page 2: Mob Grazing: What is it all about? Alexander “Sandy” Smart © 2014 Board of Regents, South Dakota State University iGrow.org.

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Definition

Shared CharacteristicsHigh stocking density (25,000 to over 1

million pounds of live weight per acre)Frequent movement of livestock (Once per

day to several times per day)High trampling and/or consumption of forageHigh labor and management

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Common Objectives

Improve the land (landscaping)Vegetation and soil health

Increase harvest efficiencyCarrying capacity

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Mob Grazing Project Sites

• New Underwood• Quinn• Kadoka• Selby• Eureka• Reliance• Chamberlain• Hayti• Volga• Gary

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Stocking density

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HarvestEfficiency 33% 43% 63% 34%

Quinn Selby Chamberlain Hayti0

500

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2014 Biomass Before and After Mob Grazing

Pre VegPost VegPre LitterPost LitterTrampled

Location

Pou

nd

s/acr

e

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Different stocking densities - Volga

50 100 200 400 8000

0.1

0.2

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1

20122013

Stocking Density (1,000 lbs/ac)

Uti

lizati

on (

%)

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2012 % Grass Cover

Mob grazing reduced grass cover by 59% whereas rotation reduced grass by 43% for sites sampled before and after both grazing systems.

Mob Rotation Mob RotationEureka Reliance

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40%

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ss

Mob Rotation0

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BeforeAfter

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Before vs. After Mob GrazingJuly 11, 2012 (57,000 lbs/acre for 24 hours)

Before After

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After Mob vs. After RotationJuly 17, 2012

Mob (1,000,000 lbs/acre)for 1.3 hours

Rotation (55,000 lbs/acre)for 12 hours

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% New litter cover

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Dung density

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2012 Tour

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2013 Tour

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Videos

Pat Guptill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWC9qkYdDNA

Charlie Totton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ4tlSkVxAk

Rick Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA9D5eiLHlw

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Summary

Producers are getting a higher harvest efficiency

Haven’t documented a change in productivity or soil health yet

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Questions