Calculate pasture stocking rate, animal units, animal unit months, forage demand, available forage, acres needed, head supported, and grazing days. Use this stocking rate calculator for cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and mixed livestock grazing.
Head supported:
The calculator estimates usable forage, subtracts reserve needs, and divides by feed demand for the planned grazing period.
Acres needed:
Enter planned head and grazing days to estimate the pasture acres needed to support that herd.
Grazing days:
The calculator estimates how long the pasture can support the planned number of animals.
Forage balance:
Available forage is compared with animal demand to show surplus or shortage.
A stocking rate calculator helps match animal demand with pasture forage supply.
It can help compare pasture acres, forage production, utilization rate, cattle or livestock weight, intake rate, grazing days, animal units, acres needed, and forage shortage or surplus.
Your result shows estimated head supported, acres needed, grazing days, animal units, animal unit months, total forage available, forage demand, forage balance, acres per head, head per acre, and stocking pressure. These are estimates based on the values you enter.
Estimate available forage, adjust for utilization and reserve, then divide by animal forage demand over the grazing period.
An animal unit compares livestock forage demand to a standard animal weight. In this calculator, animal unit equivalent is average animal weight divided by the animal unit weight you enter.
Multiply daily forage demand by head count and grazing days, then divide by usable forage per acre.
Not all forage should be grazed. Utilization rate accounts for forage left behind for regrowth, trampling, wildlife, soil cover, and pasture health.