The autumn rotation planner, known as a 60:40 planner, is a tool to help extend the grazing season into late autumn and, if followed, it will ensure that paddocks are set up correctly for grazing the following spring. The 60:40 plan is based on having proportions of the farm closed by certain dates. These dates will vary slightly across the country and depend on soil type and the amount of grass that is likely to grow over the winter.

Gauge it

The 60:40 autumn rotation plan will not tell you if you are grazing paddocks that have too much grass and it will not tell you if you are not achieving desired post-grazing residuals. You will have to gauge that by walking through your paddocks or fields and assessing either visually or by measuring.

Objectives

The objectives of the autumn rotation planner are:

1) To keep grass in the diet of the cattle for as long as possible.

2) To set up paddocks for grazing the following spring.

The simple rule is:

  • Dry farms – start closing 10 October; 60% of the farm grazed by first week November; remaining 40% grazed by 1 December.
  • Heavy or slow grass growing farms – start closing 1 October; 60% of the farm grazed by 20 October; remaining 40% grazed by mid-November.

    • Table 1 shows the workings of a sample autumn grazing planner, while Table 2 provides a blank worksheet which can be easily completed at home.