Total vs Partial Grazing: Which is better for Rotational Grazing? 

I started watching your video and immediately noticed something. I have taken Jim Elizondo's Real Wealth Ranching where he teaches total grazing. Under his program, the animals are not left in the paddock any longer than with a partial graze. Ideally, he likes to make his paddock just big enough so the animals will eat between 85% and 90% of the total forage. This means the paddock size is smaller than with a partial graze. After 24 hours (generally) the animals are moved to the next paddock. Jim encourages moving the animals 4 times a day. This causes the animals to eat more quickly, because they are competing with the herd or flock, and eat everything instead of being selective. Because more of the plant is eaten, there is less stalk left and when the plant grows back is has a higher concentration of leaves than a partial graze. Also, because the paddock size is smaller than with a partial graze, as @practicalsheepman stated, there is a longer rest period between grazing. Leaving the animals on the paddock for too long results in overgrazing. Overgrazing occurs when the plant starts to grow back and is then eaten again before it has had a chance to grow and recover from the first graze. This is my second year doing total grazing. Last year the grass was pretty sparse and I had to graze my full 5 acres. This spring, I grazed just under 2 1/2 acres and went back to the beginning instead of grazing the full 5 acres. The other half is being kept as a stockpile and allows the grass a longer break. It will be grazed next year while the half I'm grazing now rests. The grass I returned to (about 50 days later max) was almost waist high and had already gone to seed. Under Jim's program I should have returned when the plants went into the boot stage, instead of going back when the seed head had formed.

One point not mentioned is that with total grazing the rest period between grazings is typically longer giving the plants more time to recover. Also, the quality of forage on subsequent grazings is higher because the plants are less mature and have a higher leaf to stem ratio. More selective grazing occurs when partial grazing which favors the less desirable species. Partial grazing might make sense during drought conditions and on highly erodible land with bare soil showing.

Any data with this?

Why not host a debate between the gurus on each side. From what i have seen, one side freely discusses their methods and the other tries to sell their consulting without explaining anything except that their system is great. (Though i just recently found one new practitioner who does explain some of the "more hidden techniques" side). Would love an indepth comparison! My background is CAFO dairy milking 750 head (i did the vet tech tasks) and was a teacher/naturalist intern in the 1990's at a suburban Philadelphia nature center. I suspect that each side's techniques would be what is needed depending on CONTEXT as Understanding Ag folks point out often.

you need to do tree fodder next

Amazingly non biased

Exposing the soil is never a good method if you want healthy plant/forage material.