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Caring for livestock – how we look after our conservation grazers

Highland calf, Broadhead Clough, credit Connor Byers

Katie Baker, South regional reserves assistant, explains just how much work goes into keeping our grazers amazing!

Our conservation grazing livestock are a vital part of our work, and across our nature reserves we are constantly perfecting how we use them to keep our varied habitats in good shape. 

We use largely native breed cattle and sheep to graze our reserves – they do a much better job and give more natural results than us using machinery, and can access reserves which are too steep or difficult for mechanical work. 

This time of year is a brilliant opportunity to see exactly how much of an impact our grazing animals make. Our wildflower meadows across Yorkshire are coming into full bloom, with butterflies fluttering by and the sound of the insects is a delightful background hum. Without our grazers we would struggle to get the same floral diversity – they are truly our secret powerhouse! 

Four Highland cattle walking in line through a grazed field. Photographer: Terry Whittaker 2020VISION
konik ponies
Hebridean sheep mum and two lambs in a sheep pen with straw hay

Our livestock don’t do this all by themselves though - they still need to be looked after and cared for.

What does it take to look after our grazing animals?

Our animals are looked after by teams of wonderful volunteers. These volunteers are vital for maintaining the health and safety of our livestock; every day, a volunteer will visit our livestock and assess them for any signs of ill health or distress. They also check our livestock has access to water in very hot and cold weather, and do a rough check of fence lines for any damage.

Our livestock volunteers have full and ongoing training, and are supported by dedicated staff members who do a weekly check of all animals to double-check for any issues, plan where the livestock will go next, and are responsible for checking that our grazing animals have enough food! 

However, just like machinery our livestock also need their annual “MOTs” and there are key times during the year for our grazing animals. 

Sheep

Every domesticated sheep (which is most of the breeds found in the UK) need to be sheared. Over hundreds of years, sheep have been bred to produce thicker wool to be used in human production. Whilst wool production has significantly waned in modern times, sheep still need to be sheared for their health and welfare.

While our Hebridean sheep can shed some of their wool naturally, they still need an annual trim to get the bulk of their wool removed. 

Anna Hall Sheep Shearing - Howard Roddie

The music is on...and Anna begins to shear - Howard Roddie

This is done by a highly trained shearer – at the Trust we currently employ Anna Hall. She is efficient and maintains a high standard of sheep welfare which avoids any animals being injured or too stressed during the process.

What happens if we don’t shear?

One of the main reasons we shear our sheep each year is as a preventative measure against flystrike. Flystrike is a serious and potentially fatal condition – it is caused by flies, usually blowflies, laying eggs onto the fleece. The eggs hatch into maggots which then eat the flesh of the sheep – literally eating the animal alive (which is as disgusting and painful as it sounds). The flies are more numerous in the warmer months and are attracted to warm and damp areas, which is why you will find our sheep at Potteric are always sheared first. 

Shearing is also important for lots of other reasons – it stops our sheep from overheating in the summer, and improves their mobility. Could you imagine wearing a big parka in the middle of summer? We travel north around our reserves, shearing as we go, and the whole process takes around a month to complete. We also use this time to administer any medication the sheep might need, as well as giving them all a thorough health check.

Does it hurt?

In short – no. It can be a bit uncomfortable and stressful for the sheep to be placed into position for shearing but they are not there for long at all. In no time at all they are released back into the field and recover quickly – often a lot more comfortable than they were before.

Cattle

Our cattle also require care and attention throughout the year – most importantly, hoof trimming. This is an essential procedure for preventing and treating lameness, and is widespread routine practice in the UK. Hoof trimming is just like humans trimming our nails - the removal of overgrown tissue. 

However, because cattle are quite a lot bigger than humans – and a bit less obliging! – we secure cattle in an enclosure called a ‘crush’ to make sure they and our staff and volunteers are all safe. Sometimes this can look a bit intense!

Do the cattle like going in the crush?

Anyone who has a pet dog that has its nails trimmed at the vets knows that some dogs are very happy and docile, whereas others hate their feet being touched. Cattle are very much the same, and can be real characters!

We minimise the stress our cattle go through by employing a professional foot trimmer with a tilt-table system. This raises the cows up in one go so all the feet can be accessed at once rather than one foot at a time which would prolong the procedure. 

We also use experienced staff and volunteers that the cattle know well to reassure them during the trimming. Yes, you read that right – cattle have favourite people they remember and trust!

Hoof trimming (https://youtu.be/MZ62QR1SXNo)

What happens if we don’t foot trim?

Cattle hooves are always growing. On dry ground, cattle hooves would wear down naturally through friction and impact with the ground, but our cattle spend a lot of their time on wetlands which can hinder their hooves wearing down naturally. 

We monitor hoof growth throughout the year and have them trimmed when needed. Just like with other animals, keeping cattle hooves short improves mobility, balance and weight distribution, and reduces the risk of painful infection. If the hooves are maintained correctly cattle can live a longer and healthier life.

Does it hurt?

For most cattle it is not painful at all. Cattle only have their feet trimmed if needed – some cows walk straight through the crush. 

Sometimes we discover an abscess or ailment in the hoof. This is treated immediately and relieves the pain. If you have every had an abscess in your tooth you will know the worse pain is the pressure before treatment – once that is released, you immediately feel better, and it is exactly the same during hoof trimming. 

Ponies

The Trust also currently owns four Konik ponies which graze Potteric Carr. Just like cattle, they also need their hooves monitoring and trimming when needed. 

Our Koniks have their feet trimmed once a year, which is very different from other horses. Horses used for riding generally have their feet trimmed every 8 weeks or so and have shoes fitted. Our ponies do not have shoes – they don’t need them! They have their hooves trimmed in a similar way to the cattle, by entering a narrow walkway that allows staff and volunteers to get close. 

Importantly, our ponies are not tame – they have been specifically chosen because they are wary of humans, and have specific staff and volunteers that they know and trust. We employ a farrier and vet team to trim our ponies hooves, because a sedative is needed to ensure the farrier’s safety. This sedative makes the ponies drowsy and more willing to be led into a small area where they have their hooves trimmed. 

three konik ponies eating hay in a field

We only work on one pony at a time - so it can be time consuming. The welfare of our ponies is our highest priority, so we make sure they are kept in sight and sound of each other throughout the process so they can be comforted by each other. We also give them lots of treats!

What happens if we don’t foot trim?

Just like with cattle, ponies hooves are always growing. We keep them on drier ground at Potteric Carr for the majority of the year, but it is a wetland and ponies are at risk of the same health issues as our cattle. 

This is also the only time we have the ponies safely where we can inspect them for other issues, and having the vet being on hand means that we can get a diagnosis on any issues almost immediately. Thankfully since their arrival, our ponies have had a clean bill of health and we intend to keep it that way!

Our amazing grazers often draw visitors of their own – particularly our Highland cows! We have livestock year-round at Potteric Carr, Spurn and Stirley nature reserves, and they can often appear and disappear at other reserves as they’re needed. 

If you’re visiting one of our nature reserves to meet our moo-vers and shakers, or you happen to spot them browsing nearby, make sure to treat them kindly and safely.

Please remember to:

  • Avoid entering a field with livestock unless there is a designated footpath
  • Keep dogs on leads near livestock if the reserve allows dogs – this includes footpaths beside fields, as we have had dogs jump or climb under gates.
  • Avoid feeding the livestock! We know they look forever hopeful, but feeding our livestock distracts them from their job and changes their behaviour, as they start to loiter near fence lines in the hope of a tasty snack.
  • Contact head office or relevant staff if you think an animal is in distress. 

If you’d like to get involved with our livestock in a more hands-on way, please check out our volunteering opportunities! (there are currently some in the south)

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