Effects of Rotational Grazing on Soil Health and Forage Quality on a Microdairy in Dahlonega, Ga.

Rotational grazing can provide environmental and economic benefits to farmers by improving soil health and increasing the productivity of their livestock. First instituted during the mid-twentieth century to combat rangeland degradation, rotational grazing utilizes paddocks to subdivide a pasture into smaller, often temporary, sections that livestock are rotated through. This encourages even grazing across the pasture, promotes soil health and water retention, and allows a recovery, or “rest”, period for forages in sections that are not actively being grazed. Although rotational grazing is associated with positive impacts on soil health and livestock productivity, implementing an efficient system is often a trial-and-error process as paddock size and duration are highly specific to herd size and seasonal forage availability. Additionally, materials needed for set up can be expensive and systems can be time and labor intensive. To determine the effects of rotational grazing on soil nutrients and forage quality at a micro-dairy homestead in Dahlonega, GA, we used portable electric fencing to create paddocks that 6-7 dairy cows are moved through each week. Sections received control, cow-only, or cow-and-chicken rotations. Markedly thicker regrowth of forages and decreased weed presence in cow-chicken sections suggests positive changes to soil and forage quality after treatment. Additionally, visible regrowth in rest sections indicates that our rotation schedule complements our goal of improving pasture soil health and forage quality. A comparison of soil tests performed in February of 2023 and 2024 will elucidate changes in soil and forage quality, as will a comparison of forage tissue samples.