Rotational grazing to protect grass during drought

Rotational grazing is one of the most effective tools during drought. It gives grass longer to recover and helps you make better use of available forage. Find out why rotational grazing matters in dry weather.

During dry conditions, grass growth slows significantly as plants conserve energy and moisture.

Continuous grazing puts more stress on these plants, limiting regrowth and leading to long-term sward damage.

Rotational grazing helps by:

• Allowing rest periods so roots can recover and access deeper soil moisture
• Maintaining ground cover, which reduces evaporation and protects soil from heat and wind erosion
• Supporting pasture persistence, leading to better regrowth when rain returns

Dry weather often means moving away from fixed grazing plans and taking a more flexible approach:

• Increase rest periods between grazings to 30–40 days or more, depending on growth rates
• Reduce stocking density or temporarily remove some livestock, such as finishing lambs or store cattle
• Graze taller, leaving higher residuals of 5–6 cm or more to protect the growing point and reduce soil exposure
• Use on-off grazing or back fencing to limit pasture damage and aid regrowth