Steps to setting up paddock system for a drystock farm

Good grass utilisation is a key driver in profit on drystock farms. It increases animal performance and efficiency in fertiliser usage, as well as allowing for increased stocking rates due to a higher annual tonnage of grass grown.

Setting up a paddock system for the first time does not have to be overly complicated, with some simple steps outlined below.

A detailed map of the farm is the first step to setting up a successful paddock system.

Features such as boundary ditches and walls, as well as watercourses and drains, need to be marked out clearly as this will affect where fence lines go.

Having knowledge of the topography (hills and hollows around the field) will also affect how a field can be divided up.

While there are a number of professional services that measure and mark out paddocks, there are also some good apps that can allow a farmer to do this themselves to a relatively good degree of accuracy.

The correct paddock size

While the ideal scenario is to graze a paddock as quickly as possible (24 hours), there is a high level of knowledge and skill needed to do this. Too much grass, and the paddock will be poorly cleaned out. Too little, and stock will be hungry.

While this is not an issue if it happens occasionally, a repeated case of this will lead to either poor-quality swards or cattle that are not thriving. For this reason, two- or three-day paddocks are more suited to drystock farmers.

To calculate the paddock size needed, the number of livestock on the paddock and their weight are required. A good rule of thumb is to allocate 2% of an animal’s weight to the in-grass dry matter.

There should be seven to eight paddocks per grazing group to allow sufficient time to let grass recover.

Long, narrow paddocks should be avoided as cattle tend to walk up and down the length of these causing significant sward damage in wet weather.

A ratio of 2:1, so fields are twice as long as they are wide, is the ideal scenario.

Grass dry matter, livestock weight and livestock numbers can all fluctuate. To begin paddock grazing, use temporary reels and posts. This will allow you to increase or decrease allocations, as required.

When the amount of grass in a paddock, a residual of 100kg DM/ha should be subtracted. This is the bottom 4cm of grass at the base of the sward that is inedible to livestock.

Access to water is probably the greatest limiting factor in creating paddocks.

When planning out paddocks, avoid locating troughs near gateways or in the corners of fields.

Position water troughs in a central location in the field, which can allow it to be split to serve a minimum of two paddocks.

Where there is a roadway being used to access paddocks, a farmer can set up a water trough on the road and use this to service several fields, simply by opening the gap handle or gate and allowing animals access to the roadway.

In some cases, splitting fields like the spokes of a wheel from the drinker will ensure that cattle continue to have access to water while getting regular allocations of grass, although this should generally be avoided as it often creates irregular shaped, narrow paddocks.

Movable water troughs mounted on a trailer are also a viable option, although the drawback with them is the requirement to move them each time livestock are moved.

Budget will dictate roadway type.

The ideal roadway is a hardcore gravel road which allows access for both livestock and machinery and should ideally be 4m wide or greater.

However, a sacrificed strip fenced off along a boundary that will act as a service lane to each paddock is sufficient to begin with. The strip can also be used for a water trough (as mentioned above).