Share

Two grazing cows are pictured with a member of Wildlife Trust staff in navy clothing stands next to them holding a yellow bucket.

Matthew Roberts

Meet the team

Our grazing animals

Meet our team of grazing livestock

Our grazing team comprises of native breeds of cattle and sheep. We have a growing herd of 130 cows and a flock of over 550 sheep. These animals are at the heart of our work – helping us to maintain our nature reserves for the benefit of local, vulnerable wildlife.

'Chewsing' the best grazer for the job 

Cattle will use their tongue to rip and tear vegetation and are less selective than other types of livestock. This creates a varied sward or grassy ground structure. Their size allows them to trample and break up areas of bracken and bramble, and they will eat some scrub and woodland species. They will also happily graze lower-quality forage and can be suited to grazing wetter areas, depending on the breed. 

Sheep graze very low to the ground. They are highly selective feeders and will choose young flowers and shoots. Sheep are also much lighter than cattle and less likely to cause poaching. Sheep grazing has proved to be a useful tool to provide the conditions for meadow restoration. They can be used to graze the sward very low, and the action of their hooves creates enough bare ground to allow flower seeds to contact the soil and germinate. 

We choose to use traditional breeds because we believe they are best suited to thrive in our landscapes. These types of breeds are also docile so well suited to be grazing reserves with visitors: 

Photo of Fern, the sheep dog, with her tongue out photographed mid-herding at Blue House Farm nature reserve. She is low to the ground and there is a golden light to the photo.

Fern the sheep dog at Blue House Farm nature reserve

A picture of 7 red poll cows looking at the camera, all close up and crowded round. The sky is blue above them.

Red Poll cows 

Belted Galloway cows 

  • Renowned for their exceptional conservation grazing abilities. A gentle, placid nature and attractive appearance makes them ideal for grazing sites with public access 

Red Poll cows 

  • Small sized, calm by nature this hardy rare breed is ideal for grazing public sites and as a non-fussy grazer is suited to doing well on coarse vegetation 

Black Welsh Mountain sheep 

  • A hardy thrifty hill breed, very suited to conservation grazing. Willing to graze both coarse and fine vegetation as well as being an effective browser good for scrub control 

Fern, Essex Wildlife Trust's sheepdog 

  • A bundle of energy and sheep mad, Fern is a loving and loyal Border Collie whose massive heart almost outgrows her desire to work. Her ability to follow commands along with speed and agility make her quite the sheepdog, whilst simultaneously being loved on the farm, with her gentle cuddles and adoring licks.