- Author : Jessica L. Windh
- Publisher :
- Release : 2019
- ISBN : 9781085569415
- Pages : 78 pages
An Economic Evaluation of Season long Continuous and Rotational Grazing Systems in Northern Colorado
Download or read book An Economic Evaluation of Season long Continuous and Rotational Grazing Systems in Northern Colorado written by Jessica L. Windh and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Continuous and rotational grazing systems are two of the most frequently employed grazing systems in the western United States. Years of scientific evidence suggests that continuous grazing frequently outperforms rotational grazing in regard to cattle production. In this study we use economic data from a long-term USDA-ARS study in northern Colorado to determine if there are profit differences that may influence a producer’s decision to adopt rotational grazing. More specifically, we evaluate the costs that are expected to differ between the two systems (fencing and water infrastructure, and labor) over a suite of initial ranch conditions (contiguous vs non-contiguous ranches, grazed either continuously or rotationally). The livestock weight gain data was used with 20-year cattle market data for Colorado to calculate annual revenues using a model free of inter-annual market effects. Our results indicate that the additional infrastructure required to convert from a continuous to a rotational grazing system makes rotational grazing a financially infeasible option without cost share assistance. However, rotational grazing results in lower labor costs due to the increased stocking density of the herd. We also find that contiguous pasture ranches are significantly more profitable than non-contiguous ranches, a finding that could be especially pertinent to beginning ranchers as well as those looking to expand their operations.