Pasture Rotation....feedback and insight please?

[fergusnc]

Hey all. Hope it's OK to post again. Tried a different forum but I guess traffic there, so still looking for thoughts...

So I have heard everything from two weeks to an entire season as far as rotation schedule. Is there any way to know what is the least amount of time to get a benefit, or are there too many variables like weather, size, conditions of pasture, number of horses, etc? What routine do you folks follow if you are able to rotate?

I have three pasture areas. Each one is about an acre. I have two horses who are out 24/7 except for meals, self-directed/free-choice hang out time during the day, or human-imposed bad weather breaks.

They have access to one of the 1 acre pastures (the barnyard) 24/7 though they tend to hang in their connected, rotated daytime pasture for the vast majority of their 9-12 hours where that gate of left open. They are locked in the 1 acre barnyard overnight.

It seems like they start to get bored with the current pasture of rotation at about the 5 day mark. I can't recall lasting past two weeks. Does that help at all? I will say that one of the two rotation options is best left off limits if there has been/is currently getting rain. So regardless of its role in the rotation, it gets rest in those circumstances. Which means it will probably get a lot of rest in Fall/Winter down here. Actually was thinking that will work out well with attempts to try to boost the grass with seeding.

Feedback? Experiences? Thanks all!

[Tarlo Farm]

It all depends on the time and length of your growing season and how much rain you're getting. Grasses grow better, thicker, quicker in the spring, so you may get a week on each early on, then have to shorten the rotation until it's time to shift to hay. Watch your grasses and don't allow over-grazing. If you can rest a paddock for a season, or at least until the grass has grown and gone to seed, you get free seed for next year. Remember horses don't like grass that's too long, so you'll have to mow after having the grass go to seed if you go through that process.

[Dreamer]

I have a very similar setup and found 2-3 week rotation allowed enough recovery time to the off pasture. I think it would depend on your location and weather conditions though. In the middle of summer, the pasture got pretty picked over and they lost interest.

[piedmontfields]

Note that my observation is as a boarder at various places over the years (in NC and TN):

-In summer, it makes a huge difference if the turnout areas are used 2/3s of the time vs full-time + rotated and mowed
-In winter, managing mud and rotating more frequently is useful (or reducing herd numbers)

I'm now at a place that does both and their pastures are awesome. They often have 2 horses in a 1/2 acre 1/2 or 2/3s of the day and the pastures thrive (with mowing and maintenance).

[Chisamba]

another consideration in pasture rotation is parasite control, with so many of the worms becoming resistant using rotation to reduce shedding is also useful, if you cut the pasture, drag, and the weather is warm you can somewhat mitigate the survival of eggs over a three week period

if its wet, the manure is not picked or cleared and you do not cut, eggs can survive for ninety days.

[fergusnc]

Thanks everybody, great info!