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Stocking rate worksheet

Turn acres and forage into head, with the formula in the open and the hard numbers left to the people who measure them.

Stocking rate is how many animals a pasture can carry for a set time without damaging the grass. It is the single most important grazing decision. The worksheet below does only arithmetic with your numbers. The numbers that matter most, forage production and how much you can take, vary by soil, rainfall and species. Get them from your NRCS office or extension specialist.

Using it well

• Be conservative in dry years. Forage production can swing a lot from year to year. Many ranchers plan around a dry year, not an average one.
• Take half, leave half is a rule of thumb, not a law. Ask your NRCS or extension specialist for the right take for your grass.
• Watch the grass, not the calendar. Move cattle or reduce numbers when the pasture tells you to.
• Count all the grazers. Calves, bulls, horses and wildlife also eat.