Why we conservation graze our Nature Reserves with Dexter Cows

Dexter cattle are an Irish breed of cow. They are small in size, which means they poach the ground a lot less than the larger breeds, an important consideration on wet ground. Poaching is the disturbance cause to the surface by the hooves of livestock. Like most of the native breeds Dexters are tough and hardy and therefore very happy to live outside all year round on rough grasslands in all weather. Their bodies tolerate winter weight loss as a natural process due to feeding on grassland that is low in terms of nutritional value but beneficial for wildlife. 

Unlike sheep, where grazing creates a bowling green effect, cows create a very varied sward structure in height and density. Cows will often choose to eat the more dominant and vigorous plants.  This means that they will remove or reduce some of the less desirable plant species on our nature reserves and allow less competitive plants to thrive. This will impact on the range of plant species you’ll eventually see in Bardsey Fields, on the invertebrates they attract, and the birds, mammals and amphibians who, in turn, feed upon them.

Cows are selective about what they eat, often sniffing the food source first. Pulling up plants with their strong tongues, making holes with their hooves and flattening areas, they create microhabitats, which are incredibly important for a whole host of insects and wildlife. This action also creates patches of bare ground where plants can set seed – again something which allows less abundant species to thrive.

In lying or rolling on the ground, cattle increase structural diversity which can be important for ground-nesting birds such as lapwings and snipe – the different grass height is an important factor in enabling them to rear their young successfully.

Of course, where there are cattle, there are also cow pats – an essential habitat for a number of species of fungi and insects, including dung beetles, dung flies and worms. It is thought that there are over 250 species of insect that can be found in cattle dung in the UK – a welcome supply of food for the likes of badgers, foxes, bats and birds.

In essence this is what we call conservation grazing.  It is the use of livestock where the primary objective is to manage the site for wildlife, whether it be grassland, woodland, wetland or scrub.