#77 The Power of High Stocking Rates in Slashing Costs

Hello, fellow ranchers and agricultural enthusiasts! Today, we're diving deep into a topic that can revolutionize productivity and your bottom line – high stocking rates. I'm thrilled to share how maximizing the number of productive animals on your land isn't just about quantity; it's a strategy that holds the key to dramatically reducing costs on your ranch or farm. Join me as we uncover the transformative effects of high stocking rates and their potential to elevate your financial success.

Before we start, I want to let you know that I have created a new guide for you showing you how to improve your pastures long term in 2 easy steps, where you will be able to avoid overgrazing that you can implement right away and will produce results almost immediately. This free guide is in PDF format and I made it very actionable and added several things to consider, when you start implementing it. I really want you to check it out and let me know what you think! Download it now at www.rwranching.com/pastures.

Okay, let’s start.

The higher the number of productive animals we can maintain on our property at a low cost per year, the less the cost per head will be per year. This is a fact and no other factor can compare with high stocking rate in determining profitability on a ranch/farm. Not weaning weight, not yearling weights, not even daily gains! Stocking rate is the main determinant of profitability, but did you know that it is also the major force behind grass productivity?

Back when I started grazing livestock, I did not know this, and I was losing money fist over fist on my first farm. I read a book on this subject written in the sixties in New Zealand. After reading it, I did the math and sure enough, even with a lower per-animal performance, the profits were much higher at a higher stocking rate. I thought: why didn’t they teach me this very important fact in college? Why did they concentrate on daily gain, weaning weight, and other not-so-important factors in determining profits per ranch per year? Whatever their reasons, now we know :)

Since then, in 1991 I have had the highest stocking rate my land would support, without grazing unrecovered grass, while maintaining my livestock in good body condition and been profitable since. Not grazing unrecovered grass has also greatly increased my grass productivity to around 4 times higher production per acre than when I grazed grass before full recovery.

Then there is the fact that our livestock's saliva close to the growing points and crowns of our plants helps regrowth, up to 80% faster regrowth! This means that your livestock grazing can help your grass regrow faster! Neat!

Beyond Animal Numbers: Before we explore the cost-saving benefits, let's talk about what I mean by a high stocking rate. It's not just about fitting more animals onto your land; it's about leveraging the land's potential to the fullest, I am referring to a higher number of productive animals, and productive animals need to be well-fed and maintained in good body condition! We'll set the stage for understanding how this can lead to significant cost reductions.

Always, always maintain your livestock in good body condition. Do not allow them to get thin or health problems will develop.

Paradigm Shift: High Stocking Rates and Cost Efficiency prepare to shift your perspective. High stocking rates aren't just about high-intensity grazing; they're a strategic approach to minimizing costs while maximizing returns. We'll delve into the mindset change required to unlock this powerful strategy.

Our factory is our grass, and our grass should grow by natural means; sunlight, rain, soil life. But, there are some things we need to know: Weeds and brush can compete with grass for resources so need to be controlled or can lower productivity by a low of 10% to a high of 90%, overgrazing, grazing a plant before it has fully recovered reduces grass productivity by around 75%. In this last sentence we can see how important it is to control weeds/brush and to avoid grazing forages before they have fully recovered in achieving the very high grass productivity we need to maintain a high stocking rate with well-fed livestock.

I am going to repeat this due to its importance: This means we need to avoid grazing the regrowth before the plant has fully recovered, we need to be grazing ONLY fully recovered forage plants!. This alone will give us a huge boost in pasture productivity.

Efficient Grazing Patterns: Nature's Money-Saving Secret High stocking rates aren't about overloading your land; they're about mimicking nature's patterns. We'll explore how animals moving in tight groups mimic wild herbivores, optimizing and attaining a high grazing efficiency and reducing the need for supplemental feed.

When we only allow grazing of plants that are fully recovered our forage productivity soars due to strong forage plants whose strong roots transform the soil in which they grow. This goes a long way in the form of cost savings; less hay fed, more drought tolerant forages, much higher productivity by following nature, and long-term pasture improvement. How can we afford a longer recovery period in our pastures with a very high stocking rate? With a high harvest efficiency grazing!

The Feed Cost Revolution: Lowering the Feed Bill High stocking rates without overgrazing have a domino effect on feed costs. When livestock graze more intensively, they graze with a higher harvest efficiency, minimizing waste and ensuring they consume what they truly need. Get ready to witness how this leads to substantial savings on feed expenses. Much lower hay costs and faster improvement of your land by stockpiling standing hay in large areas.

Cutting Health Costs: Healthier Livestock, Lower Vet Bills Reduced Parasite Pressure: A Healthier Herd. Did you know that high harvest efficiency grazing at high stocking rates can actually reduce parasite pressure on your animals? We'll uncover the science behind this surprising revelation and how it contributes to healthier livestock and fewer veterinary expenses.

When we expose the parasites' eggs and larvae to sunlight by grazing completely recovered forage plants closer to the ground, their eggs and larvae will die. Another important consideration is that by having a high harvest efficiency grazing the animals will take longer to come back to the first paddock, effectively denying the parasites the short period interval they require from egg to larvae to host, and the larvae will die from the absence of the host, your livestock!

Animal Well-Being Matters. Happy animals are healthier animals. With high stocking rates, animals move more frequently, reducing stress and encouraging natural behaviors, livestock likes to be in a dense herd and feel distressed when separated from the herd. Discover how this approach translates into fewer health issues and decreased veterinary costs.

Soil Health: The Unsung Hero of Cost Savings. Healthy pastures mean healthy soils, which in turn means healthier animals. We'll delve into how high stocking rates, when managed properly, can create strong forage plants that stimulate soil health and diversity, reducing the need for herbicides, fertilizers, and insecticides. Harness the power of your best forage species transforming your soil with their strong, deep, and FAT roots.

By getting a high harvest efficiency graze we make sure that all the different plant species get grazed down and they start their regrowth from similar conditions. This is important, as if not, the less desirable plants would have an advantage over the most desirable plants and would eventually crowd out your best forage species. This is what is going to help you lower your weed control, your mowing, and avoid using synthetic fertilizers, we need to be kind to our soil life!

High harvest efficiency grazing: The Long-Term Payoff High stocking rates and high harvest efficiency grazing go hand in hand. High harvest efficiency grazing helps land recover faster and promotes healthier forage regrowth. Learn how this sustainable practice can minimize the need for costly pasture renovation and reseeding.

By your livestock taking longer to return to a given paddock, the roots and energy reserves of your forages grow larger, which ensures their survival in the long term. By avoiding the re-grazing of your forages before they have fully recovered you make them stronger and more resilient, this means you will not need to renovate your pastures!

Adapting to Challenges: High stocking rates require a flexible approach that adapts to changing seasons over the course of a year. Discover how this adaptability isn't just a strategy for success; it's a tool for slashing costs in the face of adversity. By stockpiling, as standing hay in an área of your farm/ranch, you will have enough feed for your livestock when the growing season ends. This gives you a huge advantage in these times of high hay costs. You will be drought-proofing your land!

Conclusion:

As we wrap up our exploration of the cost-cutting benefits of high stocking rates, remember that it's not about crowding your land but about optimizing its potential. By embracing this strategy, you're not just reducing costs; you're fostering a more regenerative and productive ranch or farm operation. How can high stocking rates without overgrazing impact your ranch or farm?

Grass regrowth will be faster due to the longer rest period that a higher harvest efficiency gives.

Costs will be diluted by a higher number of productive animals

Plus, there is this thing: as the cow needs the grass, the grass needs the cow.

This means that they work in a symbiosis where your livestock should enhance grass regrowth by good grazing management!

Before I leave, I would like you to get your hands on this new and very useful PDF on improving your pastures now and for the future. In it I explain, step by step, how to use the mower to transform your landscape and how to avoid overgrazing your best forage species. We want to make the weeds and brush weaker and our best forage species stronger so that they in turn, transform your soils. You can download it at www.rwranching.com/pastures.

Until next time! Thank you for joining this important conversation. Here's to implementing high stocking rates and watching your property thrive with newfound cost efficiency and financial success!