South and South East Queensland Pastures
From mulga country to the Darling Downs, southern Queensland supports diverse beef systems ranging from extensive dryland grazing to irrigated fodder production.
Read moreSouth Queensland
Rainfall: 300–500 mm annually (unreliable, mixed season)
Typical weather: Semi-arid; hot, dry summers; cold winters with occasional frost inland
Lower, more variable rainfall. Mitchell and Mulga grass systems dominate. Drought planning is essential.
Grazing Management
How, when, and with how many animals you graze has more impact on pasture condition than almost any other management decision. This section covers stocking rate, rotational systems, and wet season management.
Read moreStocking Rate Decisions
Setting the right stocking rate for your country, season, and goals is the central skill of grazing management. It is not a fixed number — it is a continuous process of observation and adjustment.
Read moreRotational Grazing Systems
Rotational grazing offers pastures recovery time between grazings, can lift carrying capacity, and gives you a structured framework for managing feed across the year.
Read moreWet Season Management
The wet season is when pastures grow — and when grazing pressure can do the most damage. Strategic wet season management protects your investment and builds long-term resilience.
Read morePasture Assessment
You can't manage what you don't measure. Regular, structured pasture assessment tells you whether your management is working and where to focus attention.
Read moreGround Cover Monitoring
Ground cover is the single most important landscape health indicator. It is measurable, comparable over time, and directly linked to erosion risk, water quality, and pasture productivity.
Read moreSpecies Composition and Condition Scoring
The species present in a pasture — and their relative abundance — tell you more about the history of grazing management than almost any other indicator.
Read moreEstimating Herbage Mass and Carrying Capacity
Herbage mass — the amount of dry matter on offer — is the starting point for calculating how long a paddock can carry a given number of animals.
Read moreRegional Conditions
Queensland's vast size means pasture management challenges and opportunities vary enormously by region. This section covers the key characteristics of North, Central, South, and South East Queensland.
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