5 Choosing Livestock for Conservation Grazing

05 Kent Wildlife Trust Land Management Advice Series A brief guide to choosing livestock for conservation grazing This advice sheet contains information about the following topics: ● importance of conservation grazing ● different types of livestock, how they graze and how this will impact on your site ● livestock units and grazing intensity ● tips on finding a grazier and what to ask them (and what information they will need from you) Sheep grazing a traditional orchard © Kent Wildlife Trust ● choosing livestock for sites with public access This leaflet is designed to give owners with coarse grasses, saplings and scrub, ● legislation and keeping livestock of small sites, with particular reference others will do better on wildflower-rich ● references and further reading to meadows and pastures, some general grasslands. Some will be hardy, some will advice on what livestock to use when deal better with people and dogs. It is ● further advice grazing their land and the main issues important to know where the animals have they will need to consider if they have grazed in the past, since livestock tends to not used livestock before. It assumes favour and do better on the diet on which it that the primary objective of the was reared. grazing is to manage the land for From an economic point of view, some nature conservation purposes. conservation breeds are better ‘finishers’ than others: they tend to put on weight Conservation grazing well, will produce a reasonable amount of The decision to graze a site can be fraught meat, even from poor quality grazing, and with difficulties and will depend partly on so you should be able to sell them on. the nature of your site and what you are The needs of your livestock will vary trying to achieve. However, it will also according to many factors such as breed, depend on whether you can find a willing age (older animals may be losing teeth and grazier to put his or her livestock on the unable to cope with tough vegetation), site and at a time of year which suits you, breeding status, weather conditions, or whether you are planning to buy your need for water or shade, ability to climb own livestock. steep slopes or use wet ground (cattle There are many different breeds to choose and horses are unwilling to graze on steep Goats tackling saplings and scrub on chalk from, each with its own good points: some slopes). All these factors have an impact on grassland © Kent Wildlife Trust may be excellent browsers and can deal how the site will be grazed over time. Large print version available by calling 01622 662012 Your living landscape. Your living seas. Konic © Kent Wildlife Trust Herdwick ewe and lambs © Kent Wildlife Trust Different types of livestock, flowering heads and buds of herbaceous ● they leave areas of more tussocky vegetation, which are beneficial to how they graze and how species and can graze out desirable species. invertebrates and small mammals this will impact on your site ● some species are better browsers than ● not so good at coping with sites on One of the reasons that native breeds tend others, but they all need some grass and steep slopes to be chosen for sites where conservation is herbaceous vegetation to satisfy their a key objective is that they tend to be suited ● need more forage per animal and nutritional needs (unlike goats) to particular conditions such as harsh weather therefore might not be appropriate conditions, wet grassland, steep slopes and ● they tend to leave grass stems, avoid tall for very small sites low quality grazing. For a list of native breeds and tussocky vegetation and leave dead Breeds to look out for: Dexters, at risk, please see Further Reading. vegetation (cuttings) Sussex, British Whites, South Devons, Sheep ● age too can make a difference and older Short Horns and Shetlands ● although they have a reputation for sheep (4-5 years) might struggle with Horses and ponies coarser or woody vegetation grazing vegetation very close to the ● horses can graze very close to the ground, in actual fact this is generally as ● their short legs mean that they may ground and so can leave bare patches a result of over-stocking: if the numbers trample tall vegetation of ground of sheep are fairly low for the area, then ● they have smaller feet than cattle or ● they are selective grazers and will they can produce a varied sward structure horses and are therefore less likely to leave some areas untouched, resulting ● they have thin mobile lips and can graze cause poaching in stands of taller vegetation very close to the ground and nibble ● they tend to cope well with sites on steep ● they will eat tall grass, grass stems, at the grass sward without touching slopes and dead/cut vegetation wildflowers. However, they are highly selective grazers, tend to like eating Breeds to look out for: Herdwicks are fairly ● they tend to defecate in specific areas easy to handle, will tackle vegetation such (latrine areas) which causes a build-up as nettles and scrub, make good mothers so of nutrient need very little attention during lambing and ● need more forage per animal and, as are good finishers; they have a fine fleece for cattle, might cause small sites to which is less likely to get caught in wire and become overgrazed bramble. Hebrideans, Southdowns, Welsh mountain badger face, Shetlands and Soays Breeds to look out for: Konic, Dartmoor, are also breeds to consider. Exmoor, New Forest, Shetland Goats Cattle ● they are good browsers and can get ● cattle do not graze selectively, which all their nutritional needs from scrub; is good for creating diverse flower-rich however, they are not at all selective swards; they can also push through scrub and can easily overgraze a site and eat taller, coarser vegetation and cut/ dead vegetation ● they are excellent jumpers and very difficult to keep inside a fence if they ● they don’t graze too close to the ground want to get out! and are therefore less likely to create bare Hebridean sheep © Kent Wildlife Trust patches than horses Breeds to look out for: Pygmy goats Dexter calf © Kent Wildlife Trust Shetland cattle © Kent Wildlife Trust Sussex cattle © Kent Wildlife Trust Livestock units and grazing intensity Key points to check Stocking density will affect how the animals graze: if there are large numbers with grazier: of animals on site, then they will graze ● Type of livestock wanted and differently than if they are more spread time of year when you need it out. For example, they may have little choice but to move onto less palatable ● Who is responsible for vegetation once they have finished using checking on the livestock, any the resource in their preferred areas. paperwork, water supplies, The term ‘livestock unit’ or LU is often referred to as a way of determining mending fencing (who is what stocking density can be used on a responsible for damages if given area of land and with what type of livestock escapes?) and use livestock: of supplementary feeding (the ● 1 sheep (including ewe with a suckling stock will eat this before they lamb) or goat = 0.15 LU Fallow deer © Kent Wildlife Trust tackle coarse vegetation and ● male bovine animals and heifers older might create poaching areas than 24 months, suckler cows, dairy Finding a grazier cows = 1.0 LU It can be difficult to find a local grazier to around the feed station!) graze your site, so be prepared to be flexible ● male bovine animals and heifers from ● as to when the livestock are put on and Are you charging them for 6 months to 24 months = 0.6 LU taken off. You will need to make sure there grazing the site? ● heifers that calve at under 24 months is decent access for a vehicle and trailer ● old count as 1.0 LU from the date of to back up, a water supply, and fencing Map showing exact boundary, calving in some circumstances appropriate for the type of livestock. Try number of acres and access ● horses or ponies (6 months and over) = your local farmers, agricultural colleges, points (can they back up a 1 LU breed societies, agricultural machinery trailer?) shops, the Soil Association and any local So, for example, the stocking density of school farms. The Grazing Animals Project ● Maximum stocking rate to 10 sheep grazing on 3ha is (0.15 LU x website has a UK-wide database of people 10 animals) / 3 ha = 0.5 LU/ha. Stocking avoid poaching or overgrazing with livestock available or land available density is sometimes specified as an to be grazed (www.stockkeep.co.uk) and annual equivalent. there is also the RAMSAK website which It may be worth noting that some sites offers a similar service for Sussex and may suffer from grazing by rabbits Kent. Depending on the site (quality of and deer. These species can have a the grassland, access, fencing and water significant impact on a site, so do not supply), you may be able to charge them underestimate their grazing intensity (a for using it. Once you have found a suitable hind is equal to 0.3 LU therefore twice grazier, it is a good idea to draw up a grazing that of a sheep). licence (grazing agreement). Further reading and references Kent Wildlife Trust Land Management Advice Series Management of small pastures; Management of neutral grassland; Control of ragwort, thistles and other problem plants; Management of chalk grassland; Management of acid grassland. The Grazing Animals Project (G.A.P.) Many free advice sheets can be downloaded, including information on finding graziers and breed profiles.

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