Considerations Concerning Stocking Rate Ch 8 4416 Mrs

Considerations Concerning Stocking Rate Ch. 8 4/4/16 Mrs. Smith

Importance of Correct S. R. Stocking rate is defined as: Selection of the correct stocking rate is the most important of all grazing management decisions from the standpoint of _______________________.

Importance of Correct S. R. ________ region of U. S. = animal units per section of land ________ region of U. S. = animalunit-months per acre of land

Importance of Correct S. R. _______ is defined as: one mature (______ lb) cow either dry or with a calf up to 6 months of age. _________ is defined as: the amount of feed or forage (____ lb) required by one animal unit for one month.

Importance of Correct S. R. ______ Capacity (or ______ capacity): the average number of animals that a particular range will sustain over time. **In most cases, ranches are bought and sold on the basis of their grazing capacity**

Grazing Intensity Nearly all stocking rate studies characterize grazing intensity as _____ (57%), ______ (43%), and ______ (32%). **the percentage listed is for ________________ and the percentages listed are averages**

Conservative Stocking ______________ is a term commonly used by range researchers to define a level of grazing between light and moderate, generally involving about ______ use of forage.

Influence of S. R. on Forage Production By averaging the first and last 3 years of studies, heavy stocking resulted in a ________ in forage production, moderate stocking had ________, and light stocking had an _________ in forage production. ** the greater increases in forage production occurred during the _____ years**

Range Trend and S. R. _____ stocking= downward trend (in ecological condition) _____ stocking= slight improvement _____ stocking= upward trend

Livestock and S. R. Heavy stocking consistently _______ calf and lamb crops, animal weight gains, and fleece production compared to moderate stocking. Also, livestock death losses were _____ under heavy stocking compared to moderate stocking.

Max Gains vs No Gains Maximum gains per animal and per unit area are __________ concurrently. Animals ______ to gain weight as forage becomes increasingly _____ and often lower in nutritive quality.

Setting the S. R. 1. _______determination. 2. Determination of ______production. 3. Determination of forage demanded by __________________. 4. Adjustment for distance from______. 5. Adjustment for______. 6. Computation of the stocking rate. 7. ________of actual use with expected use.

Adjustment for Distance from Water *______will readily use areas that are ________miles from a water source. *______ make ________ of areas further than 2 miles from a water source.

Adjustment for Slope Percent Reduction in Grazing Capacity