Managing Smaller Pastures to Prevent Overgrazing

Owning a smaller acreage with livestock comes with some unique pasture management challenges. With less land available for grazing, it can be difficult to provide enough forage while allowing grass sufficient time to recover. 

Smaller pastures are particularly susceptible to overgrazing, as livestock are confined to a limited area with fewer opportunities for grass to rest and regrow. To maintain a healthy and productive pasture, livestock owners may need to adjust grazing schedules, temporarily remove animals, or arrange for boarding or access to additional leased pasture.

What is Overgrazing?

Overgrazing occurs when livestock graze plants faster than they can recover. It is influenced by the number of animals on a pasture, the amount of available forage, and the length of time animals spend grazing in one area.

Repeated grazing before plants have had sufficient time to recover depletes their root reserves and weakens their ability to produce new growth. As overgrazing continues, bare soil becomes more prevalent, creating opportunities for weeds to establish and increasing the risk of soil erosion. Weeds can then compete with desirable forage species, further reducing the amount of available feed for livestock.

Recognizing Early Signs of Overgrazing

Recognizing the early signs of overgrazing can help prevent long-term damage to your pasture. Some things to watch for include:

  • Short or thinning grass: Grass is consistently grazed very short and has difficulty regrowing between grazing periods.
  • Increasing bare soil: Patches of exposed soil begin appearing as desirable forage is grazed out.
  • Weed establishment: Weeds begin filling in areas where desirable forage has weakened or disappeared.
  • Poor forage recovery: Grass takes longer to regrow or does not recover as well following grazing.
  • Soil erosion and compaction: Continued livestock traffic and grazing can damage soil structure, particularly in wet conditions.

Identifying these signs early can help prevent further pasture deterioration and reduce the need for more intensive pasture rejuvenation later.

Calculating Stocking Rate

Stocking rate helps determine how much pasture is required to support a certain number of animals over a grazing season. It considers the number and size of animals, the length of the grazing season, and the amount of forage produced by the pasture.

The following is an example of a stocking rate calculation for horses. Keep in mind that calculations will differ depending on the type and size of livestock.

Pasture acres required =  (# of horses) × (average body weight in pounds) × (0.035) × (# of grazing days) / Average forage production in pounds per acre 

Understanding your stocking rate can help inform decisions about pasture availability, supplemental feed purchases, and whether additional grazing land or boarding arrangements may be necessary.

Keep in mind that this is an estimate. Actual pasture requirements will vary depending on forage quality, growing conditions, soil productivity, and how much of the available forage can be safely consumed without damaging the pasture.

For additional information on calculating stocking rates and managing pasture, see the resources provided in the Learn More section below.

Preventing Overgrazing

Prevention is the best way to manage overgrazing, as maintaining a healthy pasture requires much less intervention than restoring a degraded one. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to pasture management. Consider the following practices and apply those that best suit your livestock and property.

Implement Rotational Grazing

Pastures can be divided into smaller sections using temporary fencing, such as electric fencing tape and movable stakes. Rotational grazing allows livestock to graze one section while the remaining sections rest and recover. This can improve forage availability and make better use of the pasture throughout the growing season.

Monitor Grass Growth

Monitor pasture growth regularly to help determine when livestock should be moved between grazing areas. As a general guideline, grass should not be grazed down below approximately 3 inches, and should be allowed to recover to approximately 6 to 8 inches before livestock return.

These heights are general guidelines, as ideal grazing and recovery heights vary depending on the forage species, time of year, and growing conditions. Some grass species tolerate closer grazing than others, while others require longer recovery periods. Understanding the growth requirements of the forage species in your pasture can help determine appropriate grazing and rest periods.

If pasture growth is uneven, mowing can help maintain more consistent growth and prevent weeds from flowering and producing seed. Returning livestock to a pasture before the forage has sufficiently recovered can contribute to overgrazing, even when animals are rotated between sections.

Provide Supplemental feed

Providing supplemental feed can help reduce grazing pressure, particularly when livestock are on pasture for extended periods. For animals that are turned out during the day and returned to a corral or stall overnight, feeding supplemental hay can reduce the amount of forage consumed and help extend the availability of pasture grass.

Avoid Grazing During Sensitive Growth Stages

Grasses can be particularly sensitive to grazing in early spring as they begin actively growing. Grazing before plants have had sufficient time to establish can reduce plant vigour, deplete root reserves, and affect forage production throughout the remainder of the growing season. The appropriate time to introduce livestock will vary depending on forage species and growing conditions.

Horses can be particularly hard on pasture during this period because they graze closer to the ground than cattle and may repeatedly select the newest, most desirable plants. Allowing grass to establish before introducing livestock can help protect pasture health.

Establish a Sacrifice Area

Sacrifice areas help protect the remaining pasture from continuous grazing, particularly during early spring, wet conditions, or periods when grass growth is limited. These areas may require an appropriate surface material, such as wood chips or stone dust, to help manage mud, reduce soil disturbance, and limit erosion.

These areas may require an appropriate surface material, such as wood chips or stone dust, to help manage mud, reduce soil disturbance, limit erosion, and minimize weed establishment.

Refreshing a Pasture

Pastures do not have an infinite lifespan. Over time, forage productivity can decline, particularly when pastures have experienced repeated overgrazing or poor management. Eventually, pasture rejuvenation may be necessary to restore desirable forage species and improve productivity.

Rejuvenating a pasture may involve reseeding and temporarily removing it from the grazing rotation to allow new forage to establish. The amount of time required will depend on the forage species seeded, growing conditions, and establishment success.

Implementing good pasture management practices early can help maintain productive forage, reduce weed establishment, and extend the lifespan of your pasture.

Learn More

Stocking Rates and Pasture Management

Forage Species and Grazing Management

  • Alberta Forage Manual – Comprehensive reference covering forage species, grass and legume growth habits, pasture establishment, management, and rejuvenation. 
  • Pasture 101 – Beef Research Council online learning resource covering forage selection, pasture establishment, grazing management, and pasture rejuvenation. Primarily geared toward beef cattle producers.
  • Improving Pasture Productivity – Alberta Agriculture resource covering weather, soil conditions, forage growth, and management practices that contribute to productive pastures.
  • Management Modules - Alberta Lamb – Alberta Lamb Producers resource covering managed grazing and pasture management for sheep and goat operations.

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