Last week I talked about the kids going on some of the shorter rides here on our ranch. I received a few emails asking me about short rides vs. long rides. Length of rides definitely depends on the ranch and how the operation is set up. Our short rides come about due to our rotational grazing system.

The main purpose is to concentrate cattle on one area of a field or pasture for a short duration of time. The cattle are then moved to a different field, again for a short amount of time. There are different types of rotational systems; some are based on seasonal usage, some on a specific number of pastures in a rest rotation system. 

Our grazing system for the steers is based on an eight pasture intensive grazing system. We divided four fields in half and rotate the steers through each of the fields throughout the summer. These fields are all under pivots. It takes approximately 24-32 days to make a full rotation through all eight fields. We move the steers when they have grazed the grass down to about three inches. Depending on how quickly the grass is growing, the steers may spend more or less time on a specific field.

The field below is where the steers spent the previous five days. They are now on the other side (right side in this photo) of the electric fence.

The steers have been in this field for two days.

And this is where they will be headed to next.

Rotational grazing works well on our outfit. The kids get to ride frequently, while young dogs and horses gain much needed experience. Most importantly, the steers always have sweet green grass to eat.