By Jim Howell
I love stock density. Apart from the aesthetic pleasure of watching huge numbers of herbivores grazing in a tight, cohesive herd, just the way nature intended, high stock density is associated with a big list of positives. Stock density refers to the concentration of a herd of animals at a specific point in time. Stocking rate is the total number of animals a property carries over the course of a year. A herd of 1,000 animals on a 100-acre (40-ha) paddock would be grazing at a stock density of 10 animals to one acre (25 animals to hectare). If those 1,000 animals were living on a 10,000 acre (4,000-ha) ranch, stocking rate would be one animal to 10 acres (4 ha).
High stock density motivates livestock to get up into nooks and crannies of pastures that they would otherwise never venture into. In topographically difficult country, where fighting gravity is a constant challenge, high stock density results in cattle walking tot he top of the ridge on their own free will – no labor intensive herding necessary.
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