Grazing and Paddock Rotation Plan
Track rest as well as grazing, because the rest period is the part of rotational grazing that actually does the work and the part nobody records.
LK-28 1 page
Livestock and smallholding · LK-65
Grass Cover Farm Walk Record
A free printable grass measuring sheet for the weekly farm walk: paddock readings, cover and days rested, the farm average, growth and demand, and a wedge to draw.
Download Free · no sign-up
2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Turn the weekly farm walk into figures you can plan grazing from, paddock by paddock. A hand-drawn wedge shows the surpluses and deficits at a glance.
Who it is for
Dairy, beef and sheep farmers who measure grass with a plate meter, sward stick or quadrat.
How to use it
- Write the method and the conversion factor you use at the top, so each walk is read the same way.
- Walk the paddocks in the same order each week and record the reading, cover and days since grazing.
- Work out the paddock totals, the average farm cover, growth and demand on page two.
- Draw one bar per paddock on the grid, highest cover first, and rule your target line to set the grazing order.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: One week's farm walk, paddock by paddock: the reading, the cover it converts to and the days since each was grazed; then the farm figures worked out and a grass wedge drawn by hand.
Your factor, your targets. No conversion factor, target cover or demand figure is printed. The factor depends on your plate meter or sward stick and your farm, and targets come from your adviser or discussion group. Write the ones you use below, so every walk is read the same way.
Write-on lines: Farm · Date walked · Walked by · Last walk on · Method: plate, stick or quadrat · Conversion factor used · Unit of cover · Grazing area
Paddocks — in the order you walk them
Table, 12 rows: Paddock · Area · Reading · Cover · Total · Rested · Order · Notes
Page 2
This week's figures — worked out by you, in your own unit
Write-on lines: Total cover on the grazing area · Average farm cover · Stock on the grazing area · Growth since last walk · Demand · Days ahead · Target you work to, and its source
Grass wedge — one bar per paddock, highest cover on the left
Squared grid: Mark your cover scale up the left edge, write each paddock under its bar, and rule your own target line across
Ruled lines: Decisions: grazing order, paddocks to take out, surplus or deficit
Questions
Why is there no conversion factor or target cover on the sheet?
Because the factor depends on the meter or stick and on the farm, and targets change with the season, the stock and the system. Your adviser or discussion group gives the ones to use; the sheet has blanks for them so every walk is measured the same way.
How is this different from the paddock rotation plan?
The rotation plan records which stock went on and off each paddock and how long it rested. This sheet measures the grass itself each week, so the next move can be planned from the covers.
Related sheets
Hay, Straw and Forage Stock Record
Know in October whether the forage will last until spring, instead of finding out in February when everyone else has sold theirs.
LK-29 2 pages
Spray and Fertiliser Application Record
Record applications properly at the time, including the conditions, so the record stands up when a buyer, an inspector or a neighbour asks about it.
LK-06 1 page
Forage Analysis Results Record
Keep each forage analysis beside the batch it came from, so the ration matches what is fed. Five batches sit side by side for comparison.
LK-66 1 page
Feed Ration and Cost Record
Record what each group is fed and what feed actually costs across a year, which is usually the largest bill on a smallholding.
LK-27 2 pages
