Putting the whole herd in a small paddock results in rapid use of available forage. When a paddock is grazed off, animals are moved to a fresh one, allowing each paddock to be grazed clean and to have a rest period. The rest period is critical for the continued productivity of some forage species. Rotational grazing systems vary in design and intensity. Typical rotational grazing systems usually have less than seven paddocks with a grazing period of one to two weeks.
Animals have a high degree of selectivity during the first part of the grazing period.
With these lax systems, plants grazed at the beginning of the grazing period are likely to have regrowth that is eaten before the grazing period ends, resulting in lower productivity. Intensive rotational grazing systems usually have more than seven paddocks with grazing periods of less than one week to as little as one-half day. There is more control of what the animal eats, and typically, better growth and persistence of pasture plants. When managing an intensive rotational grazing system, it is important to remember that the stocking rate is very high within one paddock and that overgrazing can occur very rapidly. Animals must be moved when the available pasture falls below its optimum range.