A g r i c u l t u r a l I n n o v a t i o n s
S e l e c t i n g C a t t l e t o I m p r o v e G r a z i n g D i s t r i b u t i o n
P a t t e r n s , R a n g e l a n d H e a l t h a n d W a t e r Q u a l i t y
Introduction
L
ivestock grazing distribution is a critical concern for graz-
ing lands, especially on extensive and rugged pastures.
Rangeland health, riparian area condition, water quality, fish-
eries habitat, and threatened and endangered species are all
affected by uneven grazing patterns. Cattle may more heavily
graze areas with gentle terrain near water than rugged terrain
or areas far from water, often preferring riparian areas where
they spend a disproportionate amount of time compared to
uplands [1]. Yet, concentrated grazing, especially in riparian
zones, may reduce vegetative cover and increase soil erosion
[2, 3]. Often, extensive and rugged pastures that experience
problems associated with grazing have sufficient forage, but
suffer from adverse impacts to natural resources from local-
ized heavy grazing. The key to resolving such problems is to
use pastures as evenly as possible.
Most of the management approaches currently used to in-
crease grazing uniformity, such as water developments and
fencing, can resolve livestock grazing distribution problems on
both private and public lands. However, these practices usu-
ally require large capital expenditures. As a result, ranchers
and land managers are often reluctant to develop water and
build new fences. Less expensive solutions, such as salting
away from water, are usually not effective enough to suffi-
ciently alter cattle grazing patterns [4, 5]. New management
techniques are needed
Selecting cattle with desirable grazing patterns and culling
cattle with undesirable grazing patterns has been suggested as
a tool for improving distribution. Research conducted in
southern Idaho found that cattle maintained certain home
ranges, some grazing primarily uplands and others grazing
(Introduction continued on page 2)
Inside this fact sheet:
# Introduction
# Management Implications
# SARE Research Synopsis
# References
SARE Agricultural Innovations are based on
knowledge gained from SARE -funded projects.
Written for farmers and agricultural educators,
these peer -reviewed fact sheets provide practical,
hands -on information to integrate well -researched
sustainable strategies into farming and ranching
systems. The articles are written by project
coordinators and published by SARE.
Western United States.
Especially on rugged terrain or extensive pastures
G E O G R A P H I C R A N G E :
F a c t S h e e t Practical applications for
s u s t a i n a b l e a g r i c u l t u r e
PDF available at www.sare.org/publications/factsheet/pdf/05AGI2005.pdf
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
Derek W. Bailey
Animal and Range Sciences Dept.,
New Mexico State University
Harv VanWagoner
Northern Agricultural Research Center,
Montana State University
Robin Weinmeister
Northern Agricultural Research Center,
Montana State University
Hereford cow at Ross Ranch resting during midday.
Cow activity and position was monitored with
GPS collars.
Selecting Cattle to Improve Grazing Distribution Patterns, Rangeland Health and Water Quality SARE 2
meadows and riparian areas [6]. Thus, removing
animals that concentrate in over -utilized areas and
selecting animals that travel farther from water and
up steeper slopes has the potential to improve live-
stock grazing distribution.
This project is the first and only study that we are
aware of that has evaluated whether grazing distri-
bution has the potential to be improved through in-
tensive selection. The study was replicated and the
results showed that selection for distribution has
great promise and that additional research is war-
ranted. However, there is a great deal more to learn,
and many questions must be answered. Below are a
few ideas that may be useful to ranchers grazing ex-
tensive or rugged rangeland that resulted from this
research.
Management Implications
Select adapted animals for seed
stock or replacements
Results from this project show that cattle breeds
developed in mountainous terrain utilize rugged
rangeland more evenly than breeds developed in
more gentle terrain. Ranchers in mountainous
rangeland area may be able to alleviate some of their grazing
distribution problems by incorporating breeds such Taren-
taise and Salers that were developed in rugged terrain into
their breeding programs. Two breeds developed in different
parts of Europe as well as their crosses were observed at the
Thackeray Ranch during this first part of this study. Taren-
taise cattle developed in the French Alps consistently climbed
higher and used higher elevations (greater vertical distance to
water) than Herefords that were developed in more gentle
terrain in England [7]. On average, Tarentaise cows used ter-
rain that was 32 feet higher than Hereford cows. This may
not seem that great of difference until you consider that 32
feet of vertical distance could make the difference between
grazing upland slopes and grazing riparian areas or sensitive
coulee bottoms.
In addition to their use of rough topography, these breeds are
also known for favorable maternal characteristics. In hot de-
sert rangeland, ranchers may want to use breeds with Brah-
man breeding so that the cattle are adapted to hot, dry cli-
mates and more willing to travel far from water
Daughters of the Hereford, Tarentaise and Hereford x Tar-
entaise cows were evaluated in a later part this study. Sires of
these daughters were Angus, Charolais, Piedmontese and Sal-
ers bulls. Cows sired by Piedmontese and Charolais bulls
were observed farther horizontally from water in foothill pas-
tures than cows sired by Angus bulls [8, 9]. Using an index of
terrain use, Piedmontese -sired cows tended to use more rug-
ged terrain than Angus -sired cows. Piedmontese cattle were
developed in the foothills of the Italian Alps, while Angus
cattle were developed in eastern Scotland. These differences
in sire breeds are especially surprising considering that only
half of the cow’s genotype was contributed by the bull.
Figure 1. Example of the potential differences in distribution patterns
of cows grazing similar pastures during similar time periods. The size
of these two study pastures were roughly 420 acres each with changes
in topographic relief over 330 feet. Dots represent locations of a hill
climber cow ( ▲) and bottom dweller cow ( ▲) recorded at 10 minute
intervals over a two -week period during August. Blue lines ( ~ ) are
locations of streams and were the only water sources in the pastures.
Research technician, Robin Weinmeister, records the position
of a Tarentaise cow during an early morning scan sample.
This cow was also tracked with a GPS collar, which recorded
her position at 10 -minute intervals.
Selecting Cattle to Improve Grazing Distribution Patterns, Rangeland Health and Water Quality SARE 3
Other research has shown that calves learn where to graze
from their mothers [10]. Anecdotal information suggests that
problems may arise when cattle developed in gentle terrain or
irrigated pastures are released into arid or rugged rangeland.
In such situations, cattle may not venture far from water or
up steep slopes. When purchasing female replacements, pro-
ducers should try to find animals that were raised in terrain
and vegetation that is similar to what they will be grazing.
Cull animals with undesirable grazing
patterns and select animals with
desirable patterns
Individual cows within a herd can have very different grazing
patterns. Culling or removing cows that prefer bottoms and
riparian areas and spend a disproportionate amount of time in
sensitive rangeland can potentially increase uniformity and
sustainability of grazing (Figure 1). The problem with this
approach is accurately identifying cows with undesirable
grazing patterns and determining how many cows should be
culled.
The best time to observe cattle to categorize their grazing
patterns as desirable or undesirable is when animals are first
released into a pasture. Observations also should be collected
during the early morning when cows begin grazing (e.g., 0600
to 0900). Cattle typically graze for two periods (or bouts)
each day, during the morning and evening. At mid -day, cows
are often resting near water, especially during the summer.
Research conducted as part of this project showed that the
cow’s location during the early morning was a good indicator
of where she grazed during the current morning grazing bout
as well as the previous evening grazing period. Cattle grazing
patterns also can vary greatly form day to day, so to get an
accurate estimate of a cow’s grazing patterns, several observa-
tions are needed. In our study, we observed cows in multiple
pastures and recorded their location at least 10 times in each
pasture. If cows are observed on multiple occasions in bot-
toms or riparian areas during the early morning shortly after
being turned into a pasture (first third or first half), it likely
that their grazing patterns may be undesirable and could be
considered for culling.
Determining how many cows should be culled is a difficult
question that should be researched more thoroughly. In this
project, we separated our cow herd in half, which is equiva-
lent to a 50% culling rate. A 15% culling rate is typically rec-
ommended for most cattle producers. Many other factors
other than distribution such as pregnancy status (open or
pregnant) should be considered when determining which
cows to cull. It may be difficult to make appreciable differ-
ence in grazing distribution, because only a limited number
of cattle could be culled for distribution based on normal
ranching practices. If grazing distribution is a major issue for
a ranch, more emphasis on selection for desirable grazing pat-
terns may be practical. Preliminary analyses have shown that
grazing patterns of cows sired by different bulls within the
same breed had different grazing patterns. If additional re-
search shows that grazing distribution can be inherited, graz-
ing distribution could be used as a trait for bull selection.
Much more rapid progress can be made through bull selec-
tion than can be made from culling cows.
Implications for riparian area management
In critical areas such as riparian zones, stubble heights were 5
inches in pastures grazed by hill climbers and only 3 inches in
pastures grazed by bottom dweller cows (Figure 1). The dif-
ferences in stubble heights observed between treatments in
this study would be economically important for many public -
land ranchers. A standard for grazing on riparian areas is of-
ten forage stubble height of 4 to 5 inches [11, 12]. If stubble
heights fall below the standard, livestock are often required to
be moved to a new pasture or off the allotment. In this study,
pastures grazed by hill climbers had acceptable grazing levels
based on this standard, while grazing levels in pastures grazed
by bottom dwellers were not acceptable. Forage utilization
measurements on upland slopes also suggested that hill
climbers used rough terrain more uniformly than bottom
dwellers. Forage utilization in pastures grazed by hill climb-
ers was affected less by slope, horizontal distance to water,
and vertical distance to water than pastures grazed by bottom
dwellers. For example, forage utilization declined by 0.33 per-
centage points for every degree increase in slope in bottom
dweller pastures, and forage utilization only declined 0.25
Cows from the hill climber treatment resting on a ridge at the
Thackeray Ranch.
Selecting Cattle to Improve Grazing Distribution Patterns, Rangeland Health and Water Quality SARE 4
percentage points for every degree increase in slope in hill
climber pastures. These results demonstrate that selection for
grazing distribution has the potential to improve conditions of
riparian and other sensitive areas that have been heavily
grazed in the past and to increase the use of upland slopes
that previously received little grazing.
The impact of this proposed practice (selection for distribu-
tion) on performance of the herd is an important considera-
tion for ranchers. Research con-
ducted in this SARE project
found that the location where
cows grazed was not related to
their pregnancy rates, weight or
body condition score. In addi-
tion, cattle that used high and
steep terrain had similar calf
weaning weights as cows that
remained in gentle terrain near
water. Selection of animals that
spend more time on high up-
land slopes and culling cows
that graze in lower terrain near
water should not have any ad-
verse impact on calf growth or
reproductive performance of
the cows.
Summary and application
When cows with clearly undesirable grazing patterns are
identified, culling the animals or separating them from herds
that graze rugged pastures should increase uniformity of graz-
ing with more use of upland slopes and less use of bottoms
and riparian areas. Multiple observations are needed to char-
acterize the grazing patterns of individual cows. Observations
should be recorded in the early morning when cattle are graz-
ing and more emphasis should be made during the first third
of the grazing season. Using breeds that were developed in
topography and climate that is similar to rangeland conditions
of the ranch also should help resolve livestock distribution
problems. Although results from this project clearly showed
that selection has the potential to solve many issues associated
with grazing, much more research is needed before this prac-
tice can be widely recommended and implemented.
SARE Research Synopsis
The overall goal of this project was to determine if selection
had the potential to effectively alter cattle grazing patterns in
rugged rangeland. Specifically our objectives were to:
1) Evaluate the effect of cattle breed on grazing patterns to
determine if some breeds are more adaptable to mountainous
terrain or extensive pastures; 2) determine if removing cattle
with undesirable grazing distribution patterns could result in
a more uniform use of forage in foothills rangeland; and, 3)
determine the relationships among individual grazing distri-
bution patterns and livestock production traits such as calf
weaning weight, pregnancy rate and mature cow weight.
Study sites
Research was conducted at the Thackeray Ranch (part of
Northern Agricultural Research Center) and at the Ross
Ranch (cooperating private
ranch owned and managed by
Don and Warren Ross), in
north central Montana in the
Bear’s Paw Mountains. To-
pography at both ranches in-
cluded steep and gentle
slopes. Vegetation was domi-
nated by perennial cool -
season grasses with a few ar-
eas of shrubs and trees. We
attempted to use
“management -sized” pastures
and cattle herd sizes. At both
ranches, study pastures were
at least 200 acres and most
were 400 acres. Forty to 90
cows grazed in each pasture.
Treatments
Before the study, cows were observed by researchers on
horseback and ranked by terrain use. Based on previous ob-
servations, one half of each herd was classified as “hill climb-
ers.” Hill climbers were cows that spent more time grazing
steeper slopes and higher elevations during observations.
Cows in the remaining half of each herd were classified as
“bottom dwellers” and included cows that used gentler slopes
and areas closer to water. At each ranch, hill climbers and
bottom dwellers grazed in separate, but similar, pastures dur-
ing 1999 to 2001 at the Thackeray Ranch and 2000 and 2001
at the Ross Ranch. Eight paired comparisons of hill climbers
and bottom dwellers were completed (replicated in time and
space).
Horseback cattle observations
Locations of cattle at the Thackeray Ranch were recorded by
horseback observers during the summers of 1997 through
2001. At the Ross Ranch, cattle were observed from 1999 to
2001. The procedure used for recording cattle locations using
horseback observers was identical in all years and study sites.
Two to four observers on horseback rode a pasture during a 1
- to 2.5 -hour period during the early morning grazing period
(0600 to 0900) and attempted to record the location of every
Derek Bailey, principal investigator, remains in touch with
the office on his cell phone while recording cattle locations.
Selecting Cattle to Improve Grazing Distribution Patterns, Rangeland Health and Water Quality SARE 5
cow in the pasture. Observers recorded about 87% of the ani-
mals in the herd during an observation period. Cows in each
pasture were observed two to four times each week. These
observations were pooled and used to calculate the average
slope, horizontal distance to water and vertical distance to wa-
ter for each cow in each pasture during each year of the study.
Tracking with GPS collars
Some randomly selected cows at the Thackeray Ranch were
tracked using Lotek GPS 2000 collars. These collars recorded
cow locations with an accuracy within 22 feet [13] using the
Global Positioning System (GPS). Cows were tracked for
three to 15 consecutive days based on battery life.
Vegetative measurements
Forage utilization was measured after grazing throughout up-
land areas in each set of pastures. Forage stubble heights were
measured in predetermined locations that historically received
heavy grazing use and were considered sensitive areas. These
areas included riparian zones and coulee bottoms.
Statistical analyses
All comparisons of telemetry data, horseback observations and
stubble heights in sensitive areas between the hill climber and
bottom dweller treatments were based on pasture averages
each year. Analyses of upland forage utilization data compared
the relationships between forage use and terrain use for each
treatment.
References
1. Smith, M. A., J. D. Rodgers, J. L. Dodd, and Q. D. Skinner. (1992) “Declining forage availability effects on utilization a nd
community selection by cattle.” Journal of Range Management, 45: 391 -395.
2. Blackburn, W. H. (1984) “Impacts of grazing intensity and specialized grazing systems on watershed characteristics and re-
sponses.” Pages 927 -933 in Developing Strategies for Rangeland Management. Natural Resources Council / National Acad-
emy of Science, Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
3. Kauffman, J. B., W. C. Krueger, and M. Vavra. (1983) “Impacts of cattle grazing streambanks in northeastern Oregon.”
Journal of Range Management, 36: 683 -685.
4. Bailey, D.W. and Welling, G.R. (1999) “Modification of cattle grazing distribution with dehydrated molasses supplement.”
Journal of Range Management, 52: 575 -582.
5. Ganskop, D. (2001) “Manipulating cattle distribution with salt and water in large arid -land pastures: A GPS/GIS assess-
ment.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 73:251 -262.
6. Howery, L. D., F. D. Provenza, R.E. Banner, and C. B. Scott. (1996) “Differences in home range and habitat use among
individuals in a cattle herd.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 49: 305 -320.
7. Bailey, D. W., D. D. Kress, D. C. Anderson, D. L. Boss, and E. T. Miller. (2001) “Relationship between terrain use and per-
formance of beef cows grazing foothill rangeland.” Journal of Animal Science, 79:1883 -1891.
8. Bailey, D. W., D. D. Kress, D. C. Anderson, D. L. Boss,, and K. C. Davis. (2001) “Evaluation of F1 crosses from Angus,
Charolais, Salers, Piedmontese, Tarentaise and Hereford sires V: Grazing distribution patterns.” Proceedings, Western Sec-
tion of the American Society of Animal Science, 52:110 -113.
9. VanWagoner, H. C., D. W. Bailey, D. D. Kress, D. C. Anderson, and K. C. Davis. (2005) “Differences among beef sire
breeds and relationships between terrain use and performance when daughters graze foothill rangelands as cows.” Applied
Animal Behaviour Science (accepted 2/05).
This fact sheet is based on a SARE -funded project.
For more information, please visit www.sare.org >
Project Reports > Search the database
for project #SW98 -064
Selecting Cattle to Improve Grazing Distribution Patterns, Rangeland Health and Water Quality SARE 6
SARE Publication #05AGI2005
(References continued)
10. Howery, L. D., F. D. Provenza, R. E. Banner, and C .B. Scott. (1998) “Social and environmental factors influence cattle
distribution on rangeland.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 55:231 -244.
11. Chaney, E., W. Elmore, and W. S. Platts. (1993) “Managing change: livestock grazing on western riparian areas.” Eagle,
ID: EPA Publication, Northwest Resource Information Center. 31 p.
12. Hall, F. C. and L. Bryant. (1995) “Herbaceous stubble height as a warning of impending cattle grazing damage to riparian
areas.” General Technical Report PNW -GTR -362. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest Research Station. 9 p.
13. Moen, R., J. Pastor, and Y. Cohen. (1997) “Accuracy of GPS telemetry collar locations with differential correction.” Jour-
nal of Wildlife Management, 61:530 -539.
