CSP6: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)
This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance before you apply.
Duration
5 years
How much you’ll be paid
£59 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
The aim of this supplemental action is that there’s an annual average of at least 60% of the grazing livestock units (GLU) made up of either:
- cattle
- ponies (where agreed with your Natural England adviser)
- a combination of both
The purpose of this is to:
- create a more varied sward structure
- control scrub, bracken and coarse vegetation
- increase wildlife diversity
Where you can do this action
You can only do this supplemental action on eligible land below the moorland line and in combination with a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier base action approved by Natural England.
Your Natural England adviser will agree with you what other supplemental actions may be needed to meet the intended environmental outcomes. This could include:
- CCT6: Coastal vegetation management supplement
- CGS16: Rush control supplement
- CGS23: Haymaking supplement
- CGS24: Haymaking supplement (late cut)
- CSP1: Difficult site supplement
- CSP2: Rewetting supplement
- CSP3: Bracken control supplement
- CSP5: Shepherding supplement (non-moorland)
- CSP11: Manage scrapes and gutters supplement
- CSP12: Rhododendron control and management supplement
- CSP16: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (50-80%)
- CSP17: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (more than 80%)
- CSP18: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (50-80%)
- CSP19: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%)
- CSP9: Support for threatened species
- CSW26: Enhanced floodplain storage supplement
- CUP18: Manage features for wildfire management (fire and fuel breaks) supplement
- CWS10: 2-zone rides supplement
- CWS11: 3-zone rides supplement
- CWS2: Manage and restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) supplement
- CWS5: Improve woodland resilience supplement
- CWS7: Manage historic features in woodlands supplement
- CWS8: Manage native woodland including ancient semi-natural woodlands (ASNW) supplement
- CWS9: Manage woodlands for flood and drought mitigation supplement
Eligible land
Same as base action.
Available area you can enter into this action
Same or less than the base action.
Rotational or static action
Same as base action.
What to do
Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.
To get paid for this supplemental action, you must make sure that an average of at least 60% of the GLU on land entered into the relevant base action are cattle, ponies or a combination of both.
Cattle and ponies will only be allowed where they meet the aims of the base action and are agreed with your Natural England adviser.
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its duration.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they ask for it.
You must supply a written stocking record for each land parcel entered into this action if the RPA ask for it. The record must include the:
- land parcel reference number and its hectarage
- dates when grazing has taken place during each calendar month
- monthly numbers of livestock, including their type and age bracket
To convert livestock numbers into GLU, you must use the following values:
- Cattle over 2 years old at the start of an agreement year – 1.0 GLU
- Cattle over 6 months to 2 years old at the start of an agreement year – 0.6 GLU
- Lowland ewe and lamb, or ram – 0.12 GLU
- Store lamb, hill ewe and lamb or hogg or teg – 0.08 GLU
- Goat – 0.12 GLU
- Pony or donkey – 0.8 GLU
- Horse – 1.0 GLU
Consents, permissions and licensing requirements
To apply for this action, you’ll need:
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other historic or archaeological features on your agreement land
All historic and archaeological features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.
Capital grants to support this action
If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding.
You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items.
Advice to help you do this action
The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.
Choose a suitable breed
The base action may tell you what breed, type, age of cattle or stocking density you can use and when you can graze them.
If the base action does not specify, you can use any breed, type or age of cattle, but some may be more suitable for certain habitats. For example, for sites:
-
with fibrous herbage, use cattle with low nutritional requirements such as dry suckler cows
-
with extensive and poor nutritional quality habitats, use native breeds or their crosses, particularly those native to your area as they have been bred and are more adapted to thrive in those conditions
-
where there are ground-nesting birds to reduce the risk of trampling, use mature, placid cattle
When to graze
You can graze different habitat types at different times of the year, but it may be useful to consider:
-
low levels of grazing in the spring and early summer to allow plants to flower and set seed
-
low levels of grazing in the spring and early summer for sites where there are ground nesting birds to reduce the risk of trampling
-
the timing of cattle grazing where poaching may be damaging if conditions are wet
-
late summer and autumn cattle grazing to remove the year’s growth but still leave some vegetation structure for birds and invertebrates to shelter and feed
[CSHT]: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
[ha]: hectare
[GLU]: grazing livestock unit
[PAWS]: Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites
[ASNW]: ancient semi-natural woodlands
[RPA]: Rural Payments Agency
[SSSI]: Site of Special Scientific Interest
[HEFER]: Historic Environment Farm Environment Record