Fixing the veld

Which grazing system is the best? It’s a question that evokes much debate, but the answer is really quite simple, suggests Roelof Bezuidenhout.

Fixing the veld
- Advertisement -

Grazing management is both an art and a science. You’ll hear talk of non-selective grazing, holistic resource management, ultra-high density grazing, and other systems. But, in truth, there is no ‘right way’. What really matters is that you combine rest and grazing periods effectively. But even if you do, don’t expect quick results; rewards come only after careful management and patience.

Also, be aware that some systems are based on the personal experience of farmers rather than scientific research. For example, systems that claim increased grazing capacity might have been developed during wet periods and will fail when drought sets in.Bearing in mind that good grazing management is the key, here are some useful principles:

Environment
Animal production systems must be adapted to the environment, meaning that the fodder production of the veld should match the nutritional needs of the livestock. This balance is not easy to accomplish, but it can be done.

- Advertisement -

Degradation
The best treatment for the veld is usually not the best for the livestock, and vice versa. However, continuous grazing and keeping too many animals for too long in a camp before moving them are the biggest causes of veld degradation.

Rest
Building long rest periods every third year into the system will allow the grass to recover so that livestock have grazing available in case of drought. The length of the rest will depend on the type of veld and the reliability of rainfall in the area. The more homogeneous (of the same type) and sweeter the grass, the more beneficial a long rest will be. The rest period should match the preceding grazing pressure. If a camp was grazed heavily for a long period, the rest should be long enough for the grass to recover fully.

Stocking
Stocking rate should be as close as possible to the grazing capacity of the veld. Keeping more animals than the veld can carry harms the grass and reduces the grazing capacity. On the other hand, improving veld condition increases grazing capacity.

Plants

Palatable plants must be given an opportunity to produce and distribute viable seed. This can be achieved through a rotational grazing system in which a camp is rested during the growth phase. The rest period must be long enough to allow the palatable species to grow, flower and set seed.

Vigour
The growth vigour of palatable plants should be higher than that of unpalatable plants. For example, red grass (rooigras),
finger grass and assegaai grass should show more vigour than turpentine grass, stick grass or wire grass. If it is the other way around, you are managing the veld incorrectly. For example, if you stock too lightly or keep animals in a camp for too long, they will overgraze the palatable grass species and leave the unpalatable ones to multiply. Rather aim at quick rotation: keep the animals in the camp just long enough to prune the palatable species so that they stay vigorous, but not so long that they overgraze them.

Supplements
Ideally, livestock should survive on the veld, not on supplementary feed. Give licks only occasionally when required, not in large quantities continually. When the lick intake of animals increases, it could indicate a problem in the grazing system.

Flexible
A grazing system should be flexible, so that it can be adapted to drought conditions. There should be fodder reserves to support at least the nucleus herd during drought.

Grazing
Graze badly damaged veld lightly during the dormant season rather than providing it with total rest for too long. Veld that is moderately overgrazed every year can give good animal production for quite long before permanent degradation sets in, leading to poorer animal performance. 

Sources: Prof Hennie Snyman of Free State University’s Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences; Dr Mias van der Westhuizen, Free State Department of Agriculture; Kotie van den Berg, farmer at Beeldhouersfontein, Murraysburg.