How the calculator works
Stocking rate is forage supply divided by forage demand. Extension agents measure both in "animal units," where one AU is a 1,000-pound cow eating about 26 pounds of dry forage a day.
Ten average acres in north Georgia grow about 35 tons of dry matter a year. With a simple rotation the cattle eat half of it, 17.5 tons. A cow-calf pair needs about 4.5 tons over a 270-day grazing season, so those ten acres carry about four pairs, or 2.5 acres per pair. That is close to the "2 to 3 acres per cow" rule most Georgia cattlemen use, and it is why the same ten acres in a drought year leaves you buying hay in August.
Acres per cow by region
Rough carrying capacity for a 1,200-pound cow-calf pair on unirrigated, moderately managed pasture.
| Region | Acres per pair | Grazing season |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast (GA, AL, TN, Carolinas) | 2–3 | 240–300 days |
| Mid-South, lower Midwest (KY, MO, AR) | 2–4 | 210–240 days |
| Upper Midwest, Northeast | 2–3 (short season) | 150–180 days |
| Great Plains (KS, NE, OK) | 5–10 | 180–240 days |
| Mountain West, Southwest range | 20–60+ | varies |
Animal unit equivalents
| Animal | Animal units | Dry forage per day |
|---|---|---|
| Dry cow, 1,000 lb | 1.0 | 26 lb |
| Cow with calf, 1,200 lb | 1.3 | 34 lb |
| Yearling, 700 lb | 0.7 | 18 lb |
| Bull, 1,800 lb | 1.5 | 39 lb |
| Horse, 1,100 lb | 1.25 | 32 lb |
| Ewe or doe with offspring | 0.2 | 5 lb |
Why rotation doubles your pasture
In a single big field, cattle eat the best grass to the dirt and leave the rest to go to seed. Half the forage is wasted by trampling, manure and selective grazing. Split that field into four and move them every week and utilization climbs from 35 to 50 percent. Move them daily and it reaches 65. A reel of polywire and a solar charger costs less than one round bale per month of winter feeding, and it buys you the equivalent of several more acres.
The gap is normal; plan for it
No pasture grows evenly. Fescue surges in April and goes dormant in July; bermuda is the reverse. The calculator's hay line shows how much you'll feed to cover the days the grass can't. If that number is bigger than you expected, that is the honest cost of the herd size you entered, and it is better to know in spring than in February.
Frequently asked
How many cows can I have on 10 acres?
On average Southeastern pasture with simple rotation, about four cow-calf pairs. Poor, continuously grazed pasture carries two; well-managed, fertilized pasture with rotation can carry six or seven.
How many acres per cow in Georgia?
Two to three acres per cow-calf pair on decent fescue or bermuda pasture. Count only grazeable acres, not woods or the barn lot.
How many goats per acre?
Six to eight does with kids per acre on good pasture, two to four on brushy or thin ground. Goats browse rather than graze, so wooded acres count for more with goats than with cattle.
How many horses per acre?
Plan on 2 acres for the first horse and 1 to 2 more for each additional horse. Horses graze closer than cattle and damage pasture faster, so rotation matters even more.
What is an animal unit?
A 1,000-pound cow with or without a calf under six months, eating about 26 pounds of dry forage a day. Every other animal is expressed as a fraction or multiple of that.