Grazing behaviour checked by GPS and pedometers did not differ significantly for high- and low-RFI females in this trial.

Do RFI ratings predict cattle performance on pasture?

In a word, no

Producers often wonder if genetic markers for feed efficiency based on drylot tests reflect feed efficiency on pasture where terrain, water sources and plant diversity are very different from a pen setting. Genetic markers for residual feed intake (RFI) have been identified that correlate well with actual RFI determined during the standard trials in pens […] Read more

cattle grazing

Drought management for pastures: Q & A

Tips on getting past a drought and when you should consider destocking

Q. We have just experienced the driest May on record. The growth on my pastures is pretty dismal. I am under a lot of pressure and stress. Can H M help me? A. Yes, definitely. H M is a decision-making process. Good decision-making is always important. In difficult times it is critical. Thank you so […] Read more


cattle in a pasture

Intensive cell grazing for times of drought: It works!

I learned a long 
time ago you 
cannot plan 
for a drought in 
a drought. 
If that is your 
plan, you are 
way too late

In 2002, we had the worst drought in 80 years; 2003 was also dry and the grasshoppers were insane. In 2008, we had another drought. 2009 was also very dry and it was the only year I had to destock early. Now we are in 2015 and we have a severe drought in my area. What do […] Read more

different grasses for grazing

Planned grazing for livestock

Planned grazing describes the process we use to plan our grazing in holistic management. Planned grazing was developed by Allan Savory. It is based on two key points. The first is that overgrazing is due to time not the number of animals. It is vital that we understand this point if we want to have […] Read more