#146 How Adam Increased His Stocking Rate & Cut Costs with Total Grazing

Real Wealth Ranching aims to help ranchers achieve lasting profitability by improving their grazing management, genetics, and nutrition.

Through the Total Grazing Academy, students gain the knowledge and confidence to maximize their land’s productivity while reducing costs.

One such student, Adam Rabjohns, from New South Wales, Australia, has seen remarkable results since implementing the program on his 750-acre farm.

Adam runs 300 head of cattle in a region with hot, dry summers reaching 38°C and cold, wet winters dropping as low as -10°C. His farm, "Leeston," has highly acidic soil (pH 4.5) and historically raised fine wool Merinos and Hereford cattle then added Angus.

Before joining the Total Grazing Academy, he struggled with inefficient forage utilization, overgrazing, and understocking. His rotational grazing system involved moving cattle monthly across large paddocks, leading to inconsistent grass recovery.

"We were doing rotational grazing, but we weren't getting the impact we needed," Adam shared (07:24). "We'd move them once a month, but the paddocks were so big, we still had overgrazed and underutilized areas."

After a year of researching regenerative grazing, Adam found the Total Grazing Academy and began implementing the system. He switched from leaving a third of the grass to grazing down to the optimal residual, ensuring cattle consumed the right plants at the right time. Moving cattle daily instead of monthly increased stocking density, reduced waste, and allowed for better pasture regrowth.

"The biggest change was how we look at forage," he said (10:06). "Before, I thought I was leaving enough, but now I see the benefits of planned grazing."
One of Adam’s major successes has been improving his herd genetics. Initially, he ran English-based cattle, but they struggled in his environment. After learning about adapted genetics, he introduced Mashona cattle from Pharo Cattle, which have performed well under his conditions.

"The Mashona genetics have been a game-changer," he explained (15:43). "They're more efficient, handle the heat better, and thrive on our forage."

Beyond genetics, Adam improved his monitoring practices, regularly assessing gut fill and dung consistency to optimize nutrition. He also adjusted his calving season to match peak forage growth, ensuring cows received adequate nutrition without costly supplements.

"We’ve simplified a lot of things," Adam noted (23:24). "Instead of complicated grazing charts, I look at the land, count how many grazing days we have, and make decisions based on that.

Since adopting Total Grazing, Adam has significantly increased his stocking rate while improving pasture recovery.

He’s also become an active member of the Fat Wallet Ranchers community, where he shares ideas and learns from fellow ranchers. "The community has been great," he said (33:20). "It’s good to bounce ideas around and see how others are improving their operations."

Adam encourages other ranchers to consider Total Grazing, emphasizing the importance of taking action. "I researched for a year before joining," he admitted (27:42). "Looking back, I wish I had started sooner. The system works."

Conclusion and Recap:

• Moving from monthly to daily grazing rotations dramatically improved forage utilization.
• Implementing Total Grazing helped Adam increase stocking rates while regenerating pastures.
• Introducing Mashona genetics improved herd efficiency and adaptability to his environment.
• Monitoring gut fill and dung consistency has helped optimize cattle nutrition.
• Aligning calving season with peak forage growth reduced reliance on expensive supplements.
• Simple, practical grazing management decisions replaced complex charts and guesswork.
• The support of the Fat Wallet Ranchers community provided valuable insights and encouragement.
• Adam urges other ranchers to start sooner rather than later, emphasizing that the Total Grazing system delivers real, measurable results.

Enroll in the Total Grazing Academy, get in the Fat Wallet Ranchers membership. It’s very important that you not only learn new things but you keep the momentum with people that support you. Watch the full video of Jaime Elizondo’s student interview with Adam in YouTube to understand the significant impact of the Total Grazing Program.