Grazing and Grassland Management Quiz

Livestock Unit (LU)

• 1 Livestock Unit (LU) = 1 dairy cow or 1 suckler cow
• Used to determine the amount of grass or winter fodder needed on a farm

Animal Livestock Unit

• 1 Dairy/Suckler Cow = 1 LU
• 1 Cattle (1-2 years) = 0.6 LU
• 1 Cattle (< 1 year) = 0.4 LU
• 1 Sheep = 0.15 LU

Methods of Grazing

• Rotational Grazing: moving animals around several grazing fields

Paddock Grazing

• Land divided into paddocks of equal size
• Herd grazes a new paddock every day
• Grazed paddocks fertilized and allowed to recover for at least three weeks
• Advantages: fresh, leafy grass each day, no grass wasted
• Disadvantages: expensive to set up, fencing and water supply needed in each paddock

Strip Grazing

• Moveable electric fence divides a field
• Fresh strip of grass given to livestock each day
• Requires more labor than paddock grazing, ensures no grass wasted

Block Grazing

• Dividing large fields into smaller blocks
• Livestock graze a block for about one week, return to a block after three weeks

Zero Grazing

• Cattle housed all year round
• Grass or other forage crops cut and brought indoors and fed to livestock
• No grazing on the land

Topping

• Mowing grass to encourage tillering and control weeds

Leader-Follower System

• Young animals (calves) graze ahead of older stock
• Young animals get freshest, leafiest, most digestible grass
• Less chance of young animals picking up disease and parasites from grass or older animals

Mixed Grazing

• Cattle and sheep graze together in the same field
• Tillering is increased, reduces need for topping

Fertilisation of Grassland

• Nitrogen application on grassland without clover to maintain grass quality
• Nitrogen fertilizers: CAN, Urea, and 18-6-12
• Nitrogen application according to Nitrates Directive
• Quantity and time of application determined by land use (grazing or silage)

Test your knowledge of grazing and grassland management with this quiz. Learn about livestock units and their measurement, as well as various methods of grazing. Understand the importance of calculating the amount of grass or winter fodder needed on a farm.