Long horned cattle, Roding Valley, Essex. These cattle graze the meadows at this Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve.

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Low intensity grazing during the winter and early spring in traditional hay meadow management has significant positive effects on a wide range of species dependant on this wildlife friendly way of farming. It helps remove the thatch from the previous year's growth, and this in turn allows new growth, and fine leaved plants, to sprout. More aggressive and coarser grasses are also held at bay, increasing the diversity and worth of the meadow. Cattle, when grazing, produce a variety in swarth height, producing a range of small habitats for invertebrates and nesting birds. Longhorn cattle are very docile and easy to manage, producing good quantities of butterfat rich milk, and rarely having problematic births, so are excellent for small scale, or new, farmers. Roding Valley Meadows are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, and are the "largest surviving area of traditionally managed river-valley habitat in Essex".

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Size: 5100px × 3414px
Location: Roding Valley Meadows, Chigwell, Essex, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Daniel Bridge / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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