Bale grazing is a relatively unexplored winter feeding option for most beef cattle operations in the Northern Great Plains. Recently, several producers have been looking into using a bale grazing system for winter feeding due to the lower labor requirements and possible reduced cost. When bale grazing, it is not only important to ensure that cattle have adequate nutrition and protection from the winter climate, but also to analyze the positive impacts it has on the ranching ecosystem. Many positive environmental and economic changes have been seen from bale grazing including more efficient nutrient cycling, positive soil health impacts, increased forage production and quality, improved cattle nutrition, lowered production costs, and a decrease in nutrient waste, machinery use, and labor. Overall, bale grazing has shown to be a promising opportunity for ranchers to become more efficient and sustainable while winter feeding beef cattle on their operation.
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