Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

Goats have narrow muzzles and a flexible upper lip which allows them to be highly
selective, often targeting grass seed heads before they eat the leaves. They are
agile and good climbers, allowing them to access a greater range of forage than
sheep, flourishing best where they have access to a wide range of plant species
and structurally diverse habitat which allows them to graze or browse. Goats
typically graze a sward to approximately 6 cm height (in contrast to 3 cm by sheep),
but browse and graze to 2 m or more with ease. In grass, tall herb and scrub
mosaics, sheep will graze only the first two types of vegetation whereas goats
favour the tall herb and scrub layers but tend to ignore the grass layer. However,
due to their agility, goats are very difficult to enclose.
Pigs grazed at very low densities can be beneficial in killing or removing unwanted
invasive species and creating bare ground or muddy wallows suitable for
colonisation by some preferred plant species and favoured by some invertebrates
and reptiles. However, pigs’ rooting habits can have a devastating impact,
particularly on wet fens. Pigs are not therefore generally recommended on fens
unless used for very specific management, and even then, only for a very short
period of time.
6.2.4 Choosing the right livestock
Different types and breeds of animal consume differing amounts of scrub. For
example, Konik ponies browse saplings in winter, whereas Welsh ponies rarely eat
woody plants.
– Traditional cattle breeds tend to be better suited to extensive systems.
Modern breeds have been bred for meat/milk production and are not adapted to
harsh conditions. Older breeds are often found to be more suitable.
– Individual animals with prior experience of grazing fen habitat are ideal.
Keeping the same group of animals allows them to learn the site layout and how
best to use it. Youngsters can learn directly from experienced adults.
– Match the animal to the management system. A number of grazing projects
have demonstrated great success with minimal intervention. However, the
benefits of more natural or instinctive behaviour may be offset by animals
becoming more difficult to handle when livestock movement or veterinary
attention is required.
– Mixed social structure. The more natural the group composition is, the better
they seem to thrive. With ponies, age, sex and position within the hierarchy has
a role in the functioning of the herd.
6.2.5 Timing of grazing
Grazing at different times of year has different effects on fen wildlife, for example
through its impact on seed setting. Ground conditions will dictate when stock
are introduced and removed. Stock should always be removed before poaching
becomes severe.
– Autumn grazing opens out the sward by removing summer growth and helps
finer grasses and herbs to gain a foothold. It also allows the majority of wetland
plants to set seed.
– Winter grazing removes coarse meadow grasses without affecting, for
example, over-wintering buds of reed. However, it can easily lead to poaching.
In general winter grazing is usually limited by the low food value of vegetation
and consequent increased requirement for supplementary feeding. Due to the
effect of runoff and poaching, supplementary feeding should be placed in fields
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