This requires the flexibility of having other pastures to move cattle to as needed. This can be an effective, low-cost pasture management practice. From a plant physiology standpoint, when a pasture is grazed for more than approximately ten consecutive days, the plant's growth response is as if it were being grazed under a continuous grazing management system. Each pasture is grazed for as little as one to two days, but generally for no more than seven to ten days, before cattle are moved to another pasture. There is no single grazing management system that is right for every producer.
Every grazing system has advantages and disadvantages.
Producers must select one which best suits their particular needs. Each farm differs in soil type, availability of water, forage species, pasture conditions, availability of labor, slope of land, type of livestock enterprise, etc. The most important factor in ensuring grazing management success is the ability and interest of the producer. To install a controlled grazing system, a combination of temporary and permanent fences is used. Refer to FSA2132, Electric Fencing Materials and Equipment , for specific information on fencing for planned grazing management systems.