By Green Cover Seed, re-posted here with permission.

When people think of grazing forages, they often think of fencing the whole field with one location for water and mineral and continuously grazing the whole herd until all the forage is eaten. This type of grazing can be destructive to soil health and productivity as it leads to compaction, bare soil, and uneven distribution of manure and urine nutrients. The solution is to introduce an Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing Principles Management system. Dr. Richard Teague, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, defines in this way:
Adaptive multi-paddock grazing is a more effective form of rotational grazing in which one paddock is grazed at a time while other paddocks recover and livestock numbers are adjusted as needed to match available forage as conditions change.
Dr. Richard Teague, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Texas A&M AgriLife Research
AMP involves managing livestock using multiple small paddocks to provide periods of short duration/high stock density grazing followed by adequate forage rest and recovery periods. The purpose is to mimic as closely as possible the predator-influenced herd migrations of wild ruminants such as ancestral bison and elks. The tendency for many graziers is to keep to a planned schedule, but Mother Nature frequently throws curve balls and best laid plans do not always work.

Our native soils were built by large herds of bison grazing in compact groups to avoid predation. These herds would “mob graze” an area and then move on, not returning until the next year. This intense but brief disturbance creates minimal soil compaction and stimulates plant regrowth during the long period of healing and regrowth. Adaptive grazing can work in any system whether it is perennial grasses or annual cover crop forages. As Allen Williams says:
Adaptive grazing also means being adaptive to the people! You don’t have to move cattle everyday; it could be every other day, or once a week – it is what works best for you and what works best for the land.
Allen Williams, Understanding Ag
Prior peer-reviewed research by Dr. Teague shows that north central Texas ranches practicing AMP grazing principles have been able to sequester an additional 12 tons of carbon per acre over a ten year period when compared with more conventional grazing practices. Results from a Mississippi study conducted by Dr. Allen Williams and the Arizona State University School of Sustainability show that with just 5 years of AMP grazing, significant results can be achieved in terms of building soil organic matter, soil carbon, and overall soil health. Immediate observations were that root structure and development, including root depth and mass, were significantly greater with AMP management. In addition, there were noted differences in soil texture, aggregation, and apparent soil life with earthworms present in the soil of the AMP farm. AMP grazing appears to yield results and benefits that far exceed more relaxed grazing rotations. The ability to build such significant differences within a relatively short period of time make AMP grazing an attractive tool for land improvement and remediation.
Sal Dan
Can you do AMP grazing in a steep-ish hillside and would you need to adapt the program for the steep-th!
Is there ONE main source to read/listen to, the best authority producing books or internet video?
admin
You can do AMP on hillsides, with some caveats: Depending on how steep the incline, goats might be your only option. Overall, you don’t want animals to go up in straight lines, but rather guide them with fencing along contours, gently sloping up/down. And of course, you must be very careful and avoid overgrazing or you will risk erosion. Hope this helps!
Charles
Try checking this out: https://rootssodeep.org/
Also https://www.carboncowboys.org/
The first will get you connected with people/farmers
Danny Post
I am preparing to get a small herd of four heifers and a bull. I’d like to know how small of a paddock can I work with for the five, and then with four calves.
Atop of that, I would be able to change paddocks weekly. At that, how long (averagely) should I leave that paddock alone in rotation? I am aware of growth time and rest time combined but, what is that average?
I live in Middle Tennessee.
admin
Hi Danny, thanks for your interest and willingness to give AMP grazing a try!
There is no formula for paddock size or average grazing time. The whole point of AMP grazing is that it is adaptive and forever changing depending on environmental parameters in play. You will need to experiment and monitor, especially as you get started. Over time, you will develop a sense of what is appropriate and beneficial for herd and soil health in your specific situation.
Recommended essential reading to get you started: Dr. Allen William’s foundational article 6-3-4 Explained on the Understanding Ag Blog https://understandingag.com/the-6-3-4tm-explained/
Hope this helps!