Some KISS for planning rotational pastures

No matter the specie of animal it needs plenty of exercise and small poorly planned paddocks don’t provide this.

When laying out your paddocks take the land layout and consider a way you can make paddocks that will provide lots of walking for your animal.  Especially if you are pasturing bred animals. Not enough exercise causes birthing problems. Not to mention not enough exercise can cause health issues. You know what happens to a person that is a couch potato animals aren’t much different. Exercise is good!

If you raise a breed of animal that it’s “claim” is that it will tolerate heat well. Keep in mind that with animals that is true within “reason”. When the TV weather person is warning about the heat index and to watch yourself, your pets, and livestock, take heed!

A wise producer will provide shade for their livestock so that they can cool themselves down. Just remember even farm animals can suffer heat stroke!

Keep your water source in a shaded area so that the water will be cool. Stop and think when a “hot” thirsty animal comes to drink, how can it cool its body with almost boiling water? Cool water will cool the body not hot water!

Provide “free choice” minerals that contain salt. Pastured livestock will need a good mineral and they need it free choice at all times. Grass and soils vary with seasons and don’t provide all the salt and minerals a pastured animal needs. Don’t “force” feed your animals minerals give them free choice as they know when to consume them as they know their cravings, you don’t!

Provide a good parasite program. Parasites will cause you and the animal to loose.

Shelters can give any animal relief from the elements and reduce stress. Extreme cold needs to be addressed as well as heat. Severe storms either rain, sleet, or snow can cause livestock losses also if they can’t get shelter. Even very large ranches running large numbers will have tree lines or hill sides for animals to seek some sort of shelter in times of storms.

Stress causes weight loss and health issues.  The more you can provide a “stress free” environment for your animals the healthier your animal will be. Healthy animals means more profit.