Historically large herbivorous animals would have roamed the Great Fen, controlling the shape and structure of its wetland environments, selectively munching, and trampling the vegetation, leaving dung piles for invertebrates to colonise. The Great Fen primarily uses cows and sheep to achieve the same job today, working in partnership with several local farmers who kindly provide and manage them.

Conservation grazing uses the natural behaviours of large herbivores to control plant growth through grazing and browsing. They are our living lawn mowers. Increasing the animals' freedom to select where they drink, sleep and eat across a larger area is even better for helping them to keep the variety of habitats on the Great Fen in good shape.

We are trialling a new technology called Nofence, helping our cows to roam safely and more extensively across some of our wetter and harder to reach places.  The technology allows us to create virtual boundaries which cover a broader area, and to create barriers inside to exclude parts we do not want grazed or which may be hazardous, all achieved while using less electric fencing. The cows wear collars which give audible warnings, signalling a virtual boundary is nearby, indicating to change direction. Should they get too close or cross the line, after the highest pitch tone they receive a pulse or mild shock equivalent to an electric fence. The collars also track movement in real-time, so we can locate animals even when they are hidden from view.

Nofence technology will allow for a better, more targeted, system of conservation grazing across the site.

We spoke with our graziers Craig and Ryan Baxter from the Sustainable Farming Partnership about why they agreed to trial Nofence on their herd in the Great Fen. 

"We already worked with a series of landowners to deliver extensive, grass-based livestock farming that focusses on natural feed and forage using breeds that are good grazing animals," said Ryan. "The way we farm is underpinned by three core values: Kind to our animals, Kind to nature and Kind to the environment. Partnering with the Wildlife Trust in the delivery of Nofence grazing on the Great Fen gave us the opportunity to trial a new way of managing the grazing, the platform and managing our herd, whilst fundamentally aligning with all of our core values.

"We pride ourselves on the highest levels of animal welfare, and understanding the experience for the cattle was an important part of our decision. Ultimately, what we understood, together with the experience we now have, suggests that for the right cattle and in the right environment, this is a really effective system that delivers benefits for both the animals and the land."

To give the trial the best possible chance of success, Craig and Ryan purchased a small herd of Dexters which came from a farm also using the Nofence system. "These cows already ‘knew the ropes’ as they had been used to wearing the collars – in fact they had more experience of them than we did!" said Ryan. "We had previously worked with the Wildlife Trust on a meadow where we used Dexter cattle as part of its management after the snipe breeding season. Therefore, we knew these cows would adapt well to the wetter ground and a slightly more diverse grazing platform."

The ultimate benefit for the animals is that they have a lot of freedom to roam and to access areas which would otherwise present issues...

"The ultimate benefit for the animals," explains Craig, "is that they have a lot of freedom to roam and to access areas which would otherwise present issues for us in keeping an eye on them. Through the app, we can also observe the herd’s behaviour in a much more meaningful way – we have access to much more information as to where they are grazing, and can see when they are continually pushing up against the boundary, indicating they are ready to move to the next land parcel. We can easily move or expand their grazing area throughout the season, which keeps them moving onto new parcels rather than grazing a single block. It benefits the animals and the land."

We are currently trialling the system at Rymes Reedbed in an area not accessible to the public. However, over the next few months you might spot the cows happily munching across the landscape from the Tower Hide at Trundle Mere. The onsite signs have QR codes which allow to you see where the cows are, on your phone. Simply scan the QR code with your phone's camera. 

If you have any questions about the technology or the results we're seeing in the trials, please get in touch.