KEY RESULTS FOR DARTMOOR STATION
Dartmoor Station grazing movements have been meticulously documented through MAIAGrazing since December 1, 2018. The 21,591 hectare property was historically set stocked, with some seasonal spelling of paddocks. This set stocking strategy resulted in selective grazing, where certain areas were heavily grazed while other areas remained underutilised.
The set-stocked Oaky paddock was home to a designated mob, with other paddocks opened to the mob based on seasonal water availability. However, since the end of September 2021, Oaky paddock has been part of a rotational grazing program.
Between December 1, 2018, and July 23, 2021( about 2 ½ years of set stocking records), the setstocked Oaky paddocks supported an average mob size of 400 head across 5363 hectares. After the change to rotational grazing from September 25, 2021, the average mob size increased to around 725 head spread over 7540 hectares. To compare like for like, by normalising the numbers for the larger grazed area, the average mob size drops to approximately 515 head for the rotation but is still significantly higher than the previous average of 400 head for set stocking.
The shift to rotational grazing in the Oaky paddocks allowed extended recovery periods for paddocks. For example, Top paddock achieved 561 days of recovery during 2022-23, encouraging the restoration of landscapes and substantial accumulation of pasture. Some grazing periods saw elevated stock numbers( e. g. over 1000 head from March to August 2023 in Peter’ s House and Oaky paddocks), increasing pasture utilisation across the whole paddock. comparable total grazed areas.
Similarly, by the end of dry season( September) mob size( Figure B) in the Oaky paddocks was more consistent across years following the change to rotational grazing but adjusted to allow for forage availability( and seasonal conditions) with a lower mob size after reduced rainfall in 2024. Again, the mob sizes for the Solar rotation were generally higher than Oaky paddocks with comparable total grazed areas.
In summary, the set-stocked Oaky paddocks supported smaller mob sizes compared to either the later rotational Oaky paddocks or the rotational grazing Solar paddocks. It appears that both the Oaky and Solar rotations match or outperform the previous set stocking regime in the Oaky paddocks.
The advantages of the rotational grazing methods included:
• adjusting mob sizes based on forage budgeting, reflecting rainfall patterns and forage availability;
• allowing paddock graze / pasture recovery periods to be managed, including increased flexibility in applying very long landscape recovery periods( e. g. up to 18 months);
• the capacity to apply very large mob sizes(> 1000 head) to a paddock for short periods, increasing pasture utilisation across the whole paddock and reducing preferential grazing; and
• allowing for an increase in average stocking rates compared to set stocking, with no observed impact on land condition.
Meanwhile, from March 2019, Grazing Naturally planned grazing rotations were initiated on the Solar group of seven paddocks( with the Solar mob). Extended recovery periods of over a year were not uncommon( e. g. 526 days for Solar Road during 2022-23). Similar to the Oaky paddocks, periods of high mob sizes( e. g. March to August 2023) increased pasture utilisation and reduced preferential grazing. The total grazed area of 5490 hectares, for comparison, mirrors that of Oaky paddock when it was set-stocked( 5363 hectares).
Previous analyses indicated minimal differences in remote sensing reports for end-of-season ground cover( an indicator of land condition) between Oaky paddock and one of the Solar paddocks – Solar MT.
At the end of the wet season( March), mob size( Figure A) in the Oaky paddocks was adjusted to allow for seasonal conditions, with forage budgeting influencing grazing planning. Mob size was higher after good rainfall and decreased in 2024 with reduced rainfall. Starting in 2019 with similar mob sizes to the Oaky paddocks, mob sizes for the Solar rotation were consistently higher than Oaky paddocks with
Property and paddock plans were developed in collaboration with grazing specialist Dick Richardson from Nature ' s Equity,( pictured left), using MAIAGrazing records.