How to manage grazing stock in Farm Focus

Recording Grazing Stock Movements

Grazing stock movements can be tracked in Farm Focus using the non-financial event Grazing. This applies whether:

• You are grazing another farmer's animals.
• You are sending your stock away for grazing.
• You are using stock finance where the stock company owns the animals.

Accurate recording ensures correct stock reconciliation and valuable forward planning.

TIP: If grazing stock is a minor part of your business, you may prefer to track only the income and expenses without recording stock movements.

Watch this video or read this article for further information

Entering Grazing Stock as an Actual

You can enter grazing stock movements in two ways:

• From the Livestock grid in the Working Plan (+Add).

• Via Actuals > Stock Activity, as with other non-financial livestock events.

Steps to Enter a Grazing Event:

1. Event: Select Grazing.
2. Event Date: Choose a specific date or entire month.
3. Quantity: Enter the number of animals moving on or off farm. The return event will prefill the same number. If the return quantity differs (e.g., due to deaths), record a separate event.
4. Stock Movement: Select Off farm (leaving for grazing) or On farm (arriving for grazing).
5. Code: Enter the stock class code.
6. Description and Note: Add relevant details, such as contract notes or animal weights.
7. Return Date: Enter the expected return date (specific date or month). If the return falls in the next financial year and auto-ageing is enabled, Farm Focus will automatically apply the aged-up stock code.
8. Save: Click Save.

NOTE: If the return date is after the revision line in the Working Plan, enter the return event as a planned event.

Entering Grazing Stock in a Plan

Go to Plans > Livestock to manage grazing movements in a plan.

Understanding Livestock Grid Views:

• Stock owned: Displays livestock owned by the business, regardless of location. Grazing events are not visible here as they do not affect ownership.
• Stock on farm: Shows the number of animals physically on the farm. Grazing events are recorded in this view to manage stocking rate and feed budgeting.

TIP: To enter grazing movements in the Livestock grid, ensure you are in Stock on farm view.

Grazing Stock Scenarios

Stock Owner Perspective

Example: 450 hoggets are grazed off farm from August to December 2024.

• Stock owned view: The movement does not appear, as ownership remains unchanged.
• Stock on farm view: The hoggets are recorded as leaving in August and returning in December.

Grazier Perspective

Example: 450 dry hoggets arrive on farm in August 2024 and return to the owner in December 2024.

• Stock owned view: The movement does not appear, as the stock is not owned.
• Stock on farm view: The hoggets are recorded as arriving in August and leaving in December

End of Financial Year Considerations

Accurate stock reconciliation is essential for financial reporting.

Example:
A farmer owns 900 ewe hoggets, but 500 are grazed off farm from August 2024 to July 2025.

• Stock owned view: The end-of-year tally reflects 900 hoggets ageing into two-tooth ewes, regardless of location.
• Stock on farm view: Displays 400 hoggets physically on farm, despite ownership of 900.

Stock deaths while grazing

Example: A farmer had a contract to graze 120 R1 from 1 September 2025 to 1 Dec 2025.  On the 30 September, the grazier finds that  1 animal has  died. 

Grazier Perspective - Stock on farm view:

• To keep both the farm records and invoicing correct, edit the stock activity. Change the stock return date to the date of the death (30 Sept 2025)
• Create a new grazing event. 
  • Event date is 30 Sept (same as the death date)
  • Stock return date is 1 Dec (same as the original contract end date)
  • Stock quantity 119 (revised number) 
  • Add a meaningful description eg: 1 death on 30/09/25
• This ensures the information on invoice remains consistent with what is happening on farm recording both the death and updated stock numbers. 

Stock Owner Perspective - Stock owned view

• Stock owner records the death in their own system.
• They can do this at the time of death (30 Sept) or when the stock return, as long as it is entered in the correct Financial year. 

Recording Payments

Grazing income: Code under Other income > Grazing.

Grazing expenses: Code under Farm expenditure > Grazing.