One of the most common questions in livestock farming in South Africa is: “How many animals can I run on my farm?” It sounds like there should be a straightforward answer but there is none. There is no universal stocking rate for every farm. There is not even a fixed...

Calculate stocking rate using LSU, hectares, grazing capacity and stock days. Understand why your farm's actual stocking rate matters more than a regional benchmark. Stocking rate sounds like a simple number but it is not always a simple decision to choose what it is....

The central theme of the recent Herdscape article on why stock density is the “muscle” in veld management is that stock density is powerful, but it is not a shortcut. Its value depends on timing, duration, veld recovery, rainfall, grazing capacity and the skill of the...

Among all the grazing management practices we can use stock density exerts a disproportionately beneficial influence on regenerative outcomes for the veld. Stock density and herd effect are central to the argument that carrying capacity is not fixed and that it can be...

Regeneration Is Enabled, Not Manufactured. There is an important distinction that is often lost in discussions about regenerative agriculture: regeneration is not managed into existence; it is enabled through management. The potential for regeneration already exists,...

Carrying capacity and stocking rate are not the same thing. Grazing capacity is different to carrying capacity and stock density is not the same as stocking rate. Carrying capacity is the total number of animals (livestock and all wildlife) an entire environment can...

The debate around regenerative grazing may be intellectually stimulating for some, but livestock farmers are asking more fundamental questions. Instead of asking: "What is regenerative grazing?" perhaps we should first ask: "What management changes will increase veld...

Much of the confusion around regenerative grazing comes from complex terminology and the mistaken belief that it is a specific system or recipe. In reality, regenerative grazing is simply a practical way of managing animals, plants, soil, water and time so that animal...

Regenerative grazing and livestock management courses are presented under many different names. Each has its own emphasis but they all share a common objective: to improve the ecological and financial performance of the farming business. While the terminology may...

More Productive Veld Starts with Better Water and Better Rotation A good livestock year should do more than improve the bank balance — it should strengthen the veld base that carries the business through the next drought. Before buying more stock, building another...