NRCS
Natural Resources Conservation Service /

Prescribed Grazing

Proper Grazing Use Worksheet 528(5)

September2017

Client: / Location: / Completed by: / Date:
GrazingUnit / Acres / SpeciesofGrazingAnimal / SeasonofUse / Location of
Key Grazing Area / Key Plant(s) forJudging ProperGrazing Use / Planned Minimum Stubble Height of Key Species at End of Grazing Period or Maximum utilization /

Actual Percent or Pounds Remaining

20 / 20 / 20 / 20 / 20
Method used to determine utilization degree must be described and documented on the field data sheets generated during utilization certification. Those field sheets must be attached to this form. / Meets Certification:
Designed by: / Date: / *Does not meet Certification:
Checked by: / Date:
Approved by: / Date:
Producer’s Statement
The design and O&M of this practice has been discussed with me and I concur with both. / Signature & Date
Signature: / Date:
Note: Key grazing areas shall also be identified on the conservation plan map.
*Reason for not meeting certification:
Instructions for NM-NRCS-528(5) Prescribed Grazing Certification Worksheet
MONITORING PLAN: A Monitoring Plan shall be developed with appropriate records to assess whether the grazing strategy is meeting objectives. Identify the key areas and key plants that the manager should evaluate in making grazing management decisions.
The Monitoring Plan shall include use of the NM-NRCS-528-5 Proper Grazing Certification Worksheet
(A)This worksheet will be used to assess whether the grazing strategy is meeting the client’ grazing management plan and the NRCS 528 Proper Grazing Use objectives. It will also be used for practice certification. Grazing management units that are determined not to have met prescribed grazing standards will not be reported as successfully applied. Prescribed grazing certification checks should be conducted using measured stubble heights or percent utilization at or near the end of the grazing period. This determination will be made no later than the beginning of the new major plant growth period.Table 1 and 2 from the 528 Prescribed Grazing Standard indicate grazing heights and regrowth intervals by species. These tables are to be used for developing a plan for proper grazing and management and should be used to complete this (528-5) worksheet.
The Prescribed Grazing Specification includes information about judging proper grazing use levels.
Top Section: Fill-in information as requested.
(A)Grazing Unit Name or No.: Enter the grazing unit name or number.
(B)Size (acres): Enter the size of the grazing unit in acres.
(C)Kind of Grazing Animal: Enter the kind, and if applicable, class of livestock to be grazed such as: dry cows, cow/calf, ewes and lambs, yearling cattle, 2-year steers, yearling sheep, goats, horses, etc.
(D)Season of Use: Enter the season that the grazing unit will be grazed such as: spring, summer, fall, or winter. Or by months for example: Sept– Oct., Nov. – Mar., May – Jul.
(E)Location of Key Grazing Area: Enter a description of the key grazing area in each grazing unit. Include a GPS Waypoint or the actual UTM coordinates. These locations must be plotted on the Grazing Management Plan map or the Conservation Plan Map.
Key Grazing Area—A relatively small portion of a pasture or management unit selected because of its location, use, or grazing value as a monitoring point for grazing use. It is an area that as monitored indicates the grazing pressure being applied to the entire grazing management unit and helps range managers make grazing management decisions, like when to rotate or how long to defer. Identifying and locating the key grazing area is done after considering grazing use patterns and preference areas within the unit. Key grazing areas should be located about ¾ mile away from water facilities (if possible) and in sites that will receive use by grazing animals. They should not be located near supplemental feeding areas, fencelines, roads or other infrastructure that would modify the behavior of livestock grazing. The key grazing area provides a significant amount, of the available forage in the grazing management unit. A key grazing area should be selected in each pasture.
(F)Key Plant(s) for Judging Prescribed Grazing: Enter the key plant species for the key grazing area in each grazing unit by common name.
Key Plant Species-A key plant species is chosen to serve as a guide to the grazing use of the entire plant community. The theory is if the key species on the key grazing area is properly grazed, the entire plant community will not be excessively grazed. The grazing animal will generally have a relatively high preference for the key forage species. Normally, the key forage species provides more than 15% of the available forage on the area and is palatable. The planner and the client should cooperatively decide what species to monitor and evaluate for prescribed grazing certification. There may be occasion when you will select two species, like a warm season and a cool season species, in this case enter the names of both species.
(G)Remove Grazing Pressure When: In the column heading, circle the category to be used to determine when livestock should be removed: either minimum stubble height (inches); or maximum percent utilization (%) on the key species. Then, for each management unit and key plant listed, enter the appropriate value at which grazing pressure must be removed. For example, if the key plant is Blue grama then grazing pressure should be removed when stubble height is 2-2.5 inches. Refer to the 528-Prescribed Grazing Standard Table 1 and 2, Holechek and Galts, Grazing Intensity Guidelines, and/or The University of Arizona’s Estimating Range Use with Grazed –Class Photo Guides for additional information by species.
(H)Actual Amount Remaining: In the column heading, specify units to be used: either actual amount remaining (to be left ungrazed) in inches for stubble height, or % for percent utilization. Also, enter calendar years.
(I)Planner Who Conducted Application Check: The planner who conducted the certification check will enter their names. If the individual does not have appropriate Job Approval Authority (JAA), then another planner with the correct JAA will also sign the certification.
(J)Date Check Conducted: Enter the date when the check was conducted.
Methods:
Stubble Height:An acceptable method for determining proper grazing use is stubble height field measurements. Post-grazing stubble heights of the key forage species are to be measured in the key grazing area. An average stubble height is determined by measuring the average height of grazed key forage species and the average height of the un-grazed same species. 100 stubble height measurements should be conducted within the key grazing area for determining an average stubble height of key forage species. (or at least enough to adequately quantify the average, if less than 100 are used, you must multiple to get to a 100) Add up the heights of plants that have been grazed and divide by the sum of plants measured for an average. Next add up the heights of un-grazed plants and divide by the number of plants measured for an average un-grazed height. Take the un-grazed height and spin the Utilization Gauge wheel until the number is pointed out by the arrow, then follow the wheel down until you find the grazed height and follow across to the utilization for the correct plant species. Document this utilization under the correct year.
Estimating Range Use with Photo Guides:
To calculate current use of a key species on an area, sampled plants of the species are recorded in each grazed class by dot-dash tally. After the desirednumber of plants are sampled, the tallies are converted to percentage of grazed plants by classes. If 50 plants are assessed, the dot-dash tallies can be doubled to determine percentage of grazed plants by classes. If 100 plant plants are assessed, the dot-dash totalsequal percentage of grazed plants byclasses. Then, the percentage of currentuse can be determined by multiplyingpercentage of grazed plants in each classby the respective grazed-class percentageand totaling the products. To multiply,reduce percentages to hundredths, thenmultiply the products by 100 to convertthem back to percent for percent utilization. Record final utilization rating of form.
Whichever method is selected should be described on the field sheets, with tally counts, notes, a date and a photo. Field sheets should be attached to the 528-5 Proper Grazing Use form.