Maximizing vs. optimizing a grazing system

“We, as cattle producers, row-crop farmers, and as a society, have been pushed toward maximizing production as much as we can,” said Dan Glenn at the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association meeting last January. “In many ways, we’ve been successful at this, increasing the weaning weights, carcass traits, and yields of our cattle.”

Glenn, a grass-fed cattle producer in southern Georgia, doesn’t discount the value of maximizing production, but he recognizes that this often comes at a price. For example, cow size and nutrient requirements increase, better carcasses might come at the expense of other beneficial physical traits, and forage production input costs rise.

Perhaps a better approach for a production system is optimization, which can be defined as “the act of making something as good as possible.” Specific to the farm, Glenn likes to think of optimization as “managing for a level of production that is both profitable and resilient.”

“We might make more money this year by pushing production and inputs because prices are through the roof,” Glenn asserted. “But what happens down the road when prices crash, and our system is dependent on the maximization model? For this reason, I think we need to optimize for long-term success.”

Glenn suggests building a production system that is resilient and can be successful under a number of different market and environmental scenarios. “To accomplish this, you really need to be forage focused,” he said. “The more I looked at the animals and forages, I eventually realized I needed to start underneath at the soil level.”

Glenn’s soil health principles include having a living (or some type of) cover all year, ensuring a diverse forage mixture, minimizing soil physical and chemical disturbance, and allowing for plant rest and recovery. Finally, the Peach State beef producer emphasized the importance to observe, learn, and adapt as needed.

Strategic hay feeding

“We want to lean on perennial forages as much as we can,” Glenn said. “They’ll be lower cost and longer term. Typically, annuals are used to plug the production gaps or provide for the needs of a specific livestock class such as stockers or bulls.”

Like many in the cow-calf business, Glenn wants to limit the amount of baled hay being fed. He encouraged the audience to be strategic with hay feeding. “Know where the most unfertile areas of your pasture system are. That’s where you want to feed hay and keep moving those bale-feeding areas around. Hay can be both a nutrient source for cattle and the land.”

Glenn emphasized that one of the most important things a producer can do toward making a profit is focusing on the stocking rate. “The majority of farmers east of the Mississippi River are more likely overstocked than understocked,” he said. “Overstocking adds to your winter-feeding costs and puts you in a much worse situation during a drought. Your optimum stocking rate might change every year, not only with the weather but also with beef prices. Feeding supplemental hay makes more sense when beef prices are high like they are today, but this won’t last forever.”

Adaptive grazing

Glenn likes the term “adaptive grazing” for his farm. He has permanent fence around his individual pasture units, and then he utilizes polywire to subdivide the pastures based on forage availability. “We like to move cattle every two to four days,” Glenn said. “With our winter annuals, we might move them daily or just give them a couple of hours and move them off, depending on our labor. Most importantly, we always leave adequate residue and give the grass time to recover. In doing so, we keep our pastures in the exponential growth phase at all times,” he added.

Adaptive grazing also offers some further benefits, according to Glenn. These include greater overall forage production, reduced weed pressure, and improved soil health because cows are more uniformly spreading their dung.

“Match forage availability to your livestock needs throughout the year,” Glenn said. “I set up a year-long grazing calendar that diagrams when certain forages will be available and then matched that up with what animals I had to feed and their stage of production. This can help you see where there might be forage deficiencies and give you time to rectify the situation.”

To learn more about Glenn’s grass-finished cattle breeding and forage programs in southern Georgia, visit his website at deepgrassgraziers.com.