Grazing plan and stocking rate calculator

Plan your rotation. Size your herd against your acres and see what rotation your land can sustain.

1. Your pasture

DM = dry matter (accounts for water content in fresh forage)
The share of the year’s forage your animals actually eat. It already leaves half the plant standing and allows for trampling and waste. 25% is the usual starting point for native range grazed season-long.

2. Your herd

This calculator works for cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and bison. Add your operation type to start.

months
How many months a year is this herd on this pasture? Forage demand is counted for every month grazed, not only the months the grass grows.

3. Rotation setup

More paddocks = longer rest periods = better forage recovery. Most rotational systems use 4-12 paddocks.
Rest period = days grazed × (paddocks − 1). Two paddocks grazed 90 days each is 90 days of rest but a very long stay.
How this works

What managed grazing comes down to

Managed grazing is one question: how many animals can you run on how many acres for how long without damaging next year’s stand? Overgrazing costs you in forage the following year — thinner stand, weedier ground, slower recovery after drought.

This calculator lets you enter your acres, herd, and paddock count, pick a rotation pattern, and see what rest periods your land would get. It follows the carrying-capacity method in NRCS and Extension range guides (harvest efficiency and animal unit months), so you can print the results as a starting point for your NRCS planner.

Changed October 2026: earlier versions counted 50% of forage as eaten. “Take half, leave half” means about 25% reaches the animal, because part of the half that is taken is trampled or lost. Carrying capacity now comes out about 43% lower on native range than the old 50% setting gave (about 32% lower at the tame-pasture setting, 21% lower at the managed-rotation setting), cows heavier than 1,000 lb count as more than one animal unit, and the rest period comes from the days you graze each paddock.

This calculator provides planning estimates based on regional averages. Actual forage productivity depends on soil type, precipitation, grazing history, and management. Farmer's Navigator is not affiliated with USDA or NRCS.

Related guides & tools

EQIP Prescribed Grazing Guide · Cow-Calf Breakeven · Retained Ownership Calculator · EQIP Cost Estimator · EQIP Scoring Guide · Office Visit Scripts

This tool provides general guidance based on publicly available USDA program information. It is not legal or financial advice. Program rules, deadlines, and availability may change. Always confirm with your local FSA or NRCS office before making decisions.