Stocking Rate Calculator
Calculate how many animals your pasture can support using Animal Unit Equivalent (AUE) method and forage production estimates.
Results
Visualization
How It Works
Stocking rate determines how many animals a pasture can support without overgrazing. One Animal Unit (AU) is a 1,000-lb cow consuming 26 lbs of dry matter per day. Overstocking degrades pasture; understocking wastes forage.
The Formula
Available Forage = Acres × Production × Utilization%
AU Days = Available Forage ÷ 26 lbs/day
Head = (AU Days ÷ Grazing Days) ÷ AUE
AU Days = Available Forage ÷ 26 lbs/day
Head = (AU Days ÷ Grazing Days) ÷ AUE
Variables
- AUE — Animal Unit Equivalent — cow-calf pair = 1.35, yearling = 0.7, ewe = 0.2
- Utilization — Percent of forage grazed (50% is sustainable; above 65% risks overgrazing)
- 26 lbs DM — Daily dry matter consumption of one 1,000 lb Animal Unit
Example
100 acres producing 4,000 lbs DM/acre at 50% utilization = 200,000 lbs available. At 26 lbs/AU/day over 180 days = 42.7 AU = 42 beef cows.
Tips
- Never exceed 60% utilization — leave 40% for root reserves and soil cover.
- Rotational grazing effectively increases utilization rate by 10-15% vs continuous grazing.
- Forage production varies by year — use a 3-year average for planning.
- Reduce stocking rate during drought; selling early beats feeding expensive hay.
- One cow-calf pair counts as 1.35 AU because the calf adds 35% to forage demand.