To produce energy a plant needs ungrazed leaf tissue. Also, avoid grazing when soil moisture is high and soils are more susceptible to trampling damage. Avoid grazing too often during a single growing season. If given an opportunity to regrow and replenish its energy stores, a plant can be grazed several times during one growing season. Too long ungrazed periods can inhibit bird nesting and also will cause the vegetation's nutritional quality to decline.
Leaves are the main sites of energy production for the plant.
Without sufficient leaf area remaining after grazing, the plant will be unable to regrow and replenish its energy reserves. It also is important to leave enough plant material to hold the soil in place, to filter nutrients and sediments, and to protect the plant's roots and stem bases from excessive cold or heat. Avoid grazing in an area at the same time of the year, year after year. Some plants can cope with this better than others, but varying the season of grazing from year to year is recommended for most kinds of plants. If altering the grazing season is not possible, the severity or the frequency of grazing may need to be reduced.