STOCKING NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS SHEEP RANGE 33 



DEGREE OF FORAGE USE RECOMMENDED FOR 

 NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS SHEEP RANGE 



The degree of forage use obtained on a range during a given grazing 

 period is directly affected by the rate of stocking. However, forage 

 use may also he influenced by such factors as weather and poor 

 distribution of livestock. Estimates of degree of use are valuable as 

 checks on the rate of stocking and provide a basis for adjusting it along 

 with other management practices. 



The conservatively stocked pasture showed the best balance between 

 forage utilization and sheep weights. The estimates obtained there- 

 from for bluestem wheatgrass, blue grama, and threadleaf sedge 

 (table 4, p. 13) are considered a reliable basis for recommended rates 

 of forage use. 



Because of its fine texture and generally high palatability, blue 

 grama was grazed to lower stubbles than any other species. A larger 

 percentage of the herbage of this species was removed under conserva- 

 tive stocking than of either bluestem or threadleaf sedge. Not more 

 than 29 percent of the herbage of blue grama should be removed by 

 grazing on a properly stocked sheep range comparable to the experi- 

 mental range. Such use results from grazing 45 percent of the total 

 number of individual plants to an average stubble of 0.6 inch (1.6 

 centimeters). Costello (4) recommends a 1%-inch stubble for blue 

 grama on properly grazed cattle ranges in Colorado, where this species 

 grows taller, is more abundant, and composes a greater percentage of 

 the vegetative composition than in the northern Great Plains. 



In accordance with the utilization obtained under conservative 

 stocking (table 4), bluestem should not be grazed to an average stubble 

 shorter than 2% inches, and not more than 35 percent of the plants 

 should be grazed for proper use on northern Great Plains sheep range. 

 Such use removes about 20 percent of the herbage produced. 



For threadleaf sedge, grazed stubbles should average about 0.8 inch. 

 The percentage of individual plants grazed should not exceed 33 to 35 

 percent. This degree of grazing removes 19 to 20 percent of the 

 herbage. 



To insure that all parts of a range similar to the experimental area 

 are conservatively grazed in accordance with these recommended 

 guides, a definite seasonal plan of use should be followed. Growth, 

 development, and seasonal palatability of range forage, and the 

 grazing habits of sheep indicate that each portion of the range, accord- 

 ing to topography, soil, and composition of the vegetation, can be 

 grazed to the best advantage at a certain season of the year. The first 

 grazing in March or sometimes earlier should be confined to the areas 

 having moderately steep topography and sandy or gravelly loam soils 

 where bluebunch wheatgrass and other coarse species provide ample 

 old forage from the previous year's crop. Seldom is the carry-over 

 herbage entirely unavailable because of snow. 



With the coming of new growth there is a natural movement of the 

 sheep to the rolling areas having snndy clay loam soils where a variety 

 of perennial grasses predominate. Less important species contribute 

 a great deal to the summer forage and plans should provide for 

 utilizing them to the best possible advantage. Flood plains or bottom 

 areas along the main drainages are also most useful dining summer. 

 Their heavy soils are only slightly disturbed by trampling dming the 

 dry summer and the bluestem and buffalograss are then green and 



