management changes

Regenerative Grazing

holiday paddocks are the best

  • NOTE Our cattle numbers were conservative as Olive's father had always overgrazed his property she was determined to grow more grass.
  • We stocked ~300 male steer cattle >425kg at a rate of 1x animal per 3.5 hectares which varied a bit depending on the weather conditions.
  • ​Beef cattle consisted of ~6x mobs of  ~50 steers using the better country.
  • 2x mobs of horses and 2x mobs of milkers, calves and pet cattle used ~157 hectares (7 smaller paddocks) was mostly for farmstay purposes.
  • We always had some paddocks resting with no livestock - we name them "holiday paddocks".​
Rotational grazing is a system developed using the latest research and is a system for managing the rest and recovery of our land.  With the use of mathematical calculations of when to give the paddocks holidays soil on the farm can improve which makes more grasses and fatter and happier cattle and fatter and happier bank accounts!  And some very satisfied people who are not only making a healthy living from the land that they love but technology can help them improve it's health - it's a win win!     


step one 

how we started  //  APril, 2000


  1. Used google maps to measure hectares in paddocks.
  2. Allocated 7 paddocks to the project ~ 787 hectares.
  3. Tested the flow rate of the trough water.
  4. Put 1x mob cattle into the first paddock for 17 days.
  5. The paddock was 127 hectares and there were 110x 425kg steers.
  6. The first expense was to purchase 1x new float valve (cocky @ $140) to improve the water flow rate to 2 litres per second.
  7. 29 Days later we moved the mob into the next paddock.  It had previously been a good buffel paddock but had a lot of rolly-polly and other weeds due to a dry spell and die back.
  8. Each paddock held the cattle for 1 month and 3 months later the mob had increased to 215   
  9. It took 6 months to return to the original paddock - what a great "holiday" it had.​

not done by the book  //  but a start

BASIC THEORY in SUMMER when the grass is growing
  • Native grasses get 45 days recovery time.
  • Buffel grass paddocks get 60 days recovery time.

Our grass priority

  • Grow as many plants as possible.
  • Encourage the grasses to be more productive.
  • Make sure the ground is covered