Planned grazing systems allow livestock to graze pastures, after which the pastures are left to rest and regenerate. In rotational grazing, animals are moved from one pasture to the next in a predetermined sequence to prevent overgrazing.
Each of the six plots in this example is grazed for a month, then left to rest. One plot has just been grazed, another is starting to recover, and the others have been recovering for 2-3 months, 4-5 months, and almost 6 months.
After a month grazing a plot, the livestock are moved to the next plot for another month of grazing. In this rotational system, by the time they return to any given plot, it will have recovered.
Keeping animals tightly bunched for a set period of time ensures that all plants are grazed equally—not just the sweetest grasses, but the weeds, too.
Planned grazing also helps keep plant biomass levels within an ideal size range, where plants capture a maximum amount of sunlight and thus grow exceedingly quickly. Ranchers have found that planned grazing helps maximize land productivity and make their business profitable.