Livestock Stocking Rate

Stocking rate tells you how densely animals are being grazed on a piece of land. It is found by dividing the number of animals by the grazing area, because the same number of animals spread over a larger area creates a lower grazing pressure, while fewer hectares for the same animals creates a higher pressure. This makes the result useful for judging whether pasture is likely to be underused, balanced, or overgrazed.

Use this formula when planning how many animals a paddock can carry or when comparing grazing pressure between farms or fields. It is also helpful when checking whether a current herd or flock size matches the available pasture area.

• Using acres and hectares without converting to the same area unit
• Dividing area by number of animals instead of number of animals by area
• Forgetting that the answer is an average density, not a measure of pasture quality