Beef cattle on dykelands in Nova Scotia

In the photo, cattle are being moved from one paddock to another on dykelands adjacent to the Shinimicas River which is tidal at this point. The dykelands in Nova Scotia date from 1632, when settlers from the west coast of France applied their dyke-building skills to the rich coastal marshlands of Acadia. Sluice gates in the dykes allow freshwater to drain from the marshes, but prevent seawater from inundating them.

These cattle are being managed in a rotational grazing system in which cattle are stocked intensively on paddocks and moved to a new paddock every 2-5 days. This system encourages growth of nitriogen-fixing clover and results in high yields and forage quality with relatively low inputs.