Using multi-species swards for sustainable livestock production

Are you growing multi-species swards already, or wondering where to begin? This in-depth guide can build your knowledge and share best practices to support your sowing, management, and feeding of multi-species to ruminant livestock.

Contents

1. What are multi-species swards?
2. What are the benefits?
3. How can multi-species be used?
4. Which species do I need?
5. Maximising performance
6. Sowing advice
7. Managing multi-species

1. What are they?

Multi-species swards contain three or more species from grasses, legumes, and herbs. Also known as herbal leys, these diverse swards provide multiple sources of protein, energy, and minerals for ruminant livestock.

The different forages have complementary growth habits. And sward performance can be better than monoculture swards, as each species brings specific advantages. This has been found in several major studies, as shown in the Performance section of our guide.

2. What are the benefits of multi-species swards?

Livestock performance

• Suitable for dairy, beef, or sheep systems.
• High digestibility drives dry matter intakes.
• Better overall nutritional profile compared with grass only.
• Boost in spring and autumn production.
• Greater weight gain in livestock.
• Anthelmintic properties in herbs aid parasite control.

Soil health and the environment

• Nitrogen fixation from legumes reduces N fertiliser requirements.
• Greater carbon sequestration
• Increased drought tolerance
• Longer rooting species reach deeper soil profiles.
• Greater uptake of soil nutrients from multiple root systems.
• Better soil structure and more active soil biology.
• Lower ammonia and methane emissions when using Germinal’s Aber High Sugar Grasses.
• Denser swards are more resistant to poaching.
• Better water infiltration
• Produces diverse wildlife habitats and attractive to pollinators.

3. How can multi-species swards be used?

Grazing

Rotational grazing can help you maximise performance, as livestock can graze selectively, favouring more palatable species. To avoid overgrazing and losing certain species, limit grazing periods so that favoured species can recover.

If using multi-species for set stocking, there’s less control over grazing and it’s more likely some species will go to head and lose quality. The utilisation rate is lower than in a rotational grazing strategy. While mob grazing multi-species can restore soil health, utilisation rates are low.

We recommend avoiding grazing ewes on swards containing red clover for six weeks pre- and post-tupping. This is because red clover phytoestrogens can impact fertility.

For more on grazing systems, click here.

Silage

Take care to protect the delicate leafy species, such as red clover, by using a rubber roller conditioner and handling carefully during wilting and rowing-up. This is to minimise protein loss during the process.

4. Which species can be used?

Multi-species broadly fall under three types: grasses, legumes, and herbs. However, they perform differently and some are more effective than others. Explore the different species and their characteristics below before considering performance in the next section.

Forage type	Species	Characteristics
Grasses	Perennial ryegrass	Spring and autumn growth High in quality
	Timothy	Suitable for all soils Spring and autumn growth Palatable
	Cocksfoot	Suite dry soils Deep rooting
	Meadow fescue	Suits all soil types Drought-tolerant Low yielding
Legumes	White clover	Fixes around 150kg N/ha/year High in quality and protein
	Red clover	Fixes atmospheric nitrogen Yield potential of 10-15t DM/ha/year High in yield, quality, and protein Not recommended as a monoculture due to N leaching
	Birdsfoot trefoil	Can reduce methane emissions High in quality and protein Conventional varieties are susceptible to grazing damage
	Black medic	Short-lived annual/biennial Suitable for undersowing Improves soil health
	Hairy vetch	Vigorous spring growth High in quality and protein forage Suitable for cover cropping
	Sainfoin	Drought-tolerant Palatable Anthelmintic properties Needs high pH, free-draining soil Not suitable for heavy grazing
Herbs	Chicory	Deep-rooting Drought-tolerant High in minerals but only when available in soil Anthelmintic properties
	Plantain	Good early-season growth Coarse root structure Medium root depth Palatable High in minerals
	Burnet	Deep rooting Drought-tolerant Easier to establish than other herbs
	Sheeps parsley	Deep rooting Drought-tolerant Conditions soil Difficult to establish
	Yarrow	Deep-rooting Drought-tolerant Difficult to establish

5. Maximising performance

There’s growing research to support the forage production and livestock performance potential of using multi-species in dairy, beef, and sheep systems.

Forage production

In a four-year trial at Germinal Horizon Wiltshire, it was found that multi-species swards outyielded perennial ryegrass-only swards by at least 26% when comparing the average yield per year. Even just diversifying with white clover increased the average annual yield by 25%.

In this trial, the 6-way multi-species mix included perennial ryegrass, timothy, white clover, red clover, plantain and chicory. The 10-way multi-species mix added a further four elements, including alsike clover, black medic, birdsfoot trefoil, and minor herbs.

Average annual yield of different sward types: 2020-2023

Source: Germinal Horizon Wiltshire

Liveweight gain

Multi-species are often used in beef and sheep systems, due to the benefits they bring to young stock. Beaucarne et al (2025) completed a two-year study of co-grazing heifers and lambs on four different sward types, showing the positive impact multi-species grazing can have on sustainable livestock production.

Impact of sward type on production performance of heifers and lambs

	Metric	Perennial ryegrass (170kg N/ha/yr)	Permanent pasture (135kg N/ha/yr)	6 multi-species (70kg N/ha/yr)	12 multi-species (70kg N/ha/yr)
Heifers	Grazing days to slaughter	186.5	187.5	182.0	181.0
	Age at slaughter (days)	582.0	576.5	570.0	575.5
	Liveweight at slaughter (kg)	517.5	509.5	538.0	525.0
Lambs	Grazing days to slaughter	132.5	125.5	81.5	93.0
	Age at slaughter (days)	164.0	152.0	107.0	121.5
	Liveweight at slaughter (kg)	45.8	45.4	44.5	45.2

Source: Beaucarne et al (2025)

Heifers were finished earlier on both multi-species swards, while also registering higher liveweight gain at slaughter. Multi-species were also more cost-effective and sustainable, requiring much less artificial nitrogen.

By comparison in the lamb grazing trial versus the permanent pasture treatment, lambs were finished 30 days earlier on the 12-species sward and 45 days earlier on the six-species sward.

Dairy potential

While multi-species swards have been more commonly fed in beef and sheep systems, we’ve seen a recent rise in dairy usage. Backed by research, Kostovska et al (2024) shared promising results in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Yearly milk yield and gross composition values

	Holstein-Friesian		Jersey Holstein-Friesian
	Perennial ryegrass	Multi-species	Perennial ryegrass	Multi-species
Yield (kg/cow/day)	20.6	20.7	18.8	20.0
Fat (%)	4.3	4.8	5.0	5.0
Protein (%)	3.7	3.8	4.0	4.0
Total solids (%)	13.4	14.1	14.5	14.5
Lactose (%)	4.7	4.7	4.8	4.8

Source: Kostovska et al (2024)

The study compared a perennial ryegrass system with high nitrogen applications (250 kg N/ha per year) against multi-species swards with low nitrogen applications (125 kg N/ha per year). And the focus was on grazing Holstein-Friesian and Jersey Holstein-Friesian cows in a spring-calving system.

With Holstein-Friesians, the results showed the potential to increase fat from 4.3% to 4.8% for the year, and total solids from 13.4% to 14.1%. Meanwhile, the Jersey Holstein-Friesians performed better on milk yield, increasing from 18.8kg per cow per year to 20.0kg.

This shows that multi-species swards can support strong dairy production, while letting you lower artificial nitrogen applications to reduce input costs and improve environmental performance.

6. Sowing advice

Considerations

• Control weeds before sowing, as there are no options for spraying after. Avoid sowing in fields with a history of weed problems.
• Using a stale seedbed can reduce the weed burden on the subsequent sward.
• Good soil fertility and correct sowing time are also important.
• Sowing from late April to May with warmer soil temperatures works well. Avoid sowing later than four to six weeks before you would stop sowing clover on your farm.
• Multi-species mixtures work best in a full reseed. The smaller seeds of some species struggle to establish in existing swards, making them unsuitable for overseeding.
• Early sowing allows better establishment before winter, which is important for root development.
• Herbs are slower to reach peak yield, so it’s important to include perennial ryegrass for consistent forage production across the season.

Sowing methods

• Broadcasting is the most common and effective method of sowing when the seedbed is clean, fine and firm.
• Direct drilling can be used but allows the more aggressive ryegrass and clovers to dominate and outcompete the slower-establishing species.
• Undersowing can also be used in spring with an early-maturing, lodging-resistant cereal companion crop, drilled at a reduced seed rate (not exceeding 120kg/ha).
• Annual legumes, such as crimson clover or vetch, can be undersown where an early first cut for silage takes out any annual broadleaf weeds.
• In rotational systems, preceding crops should be cereals, roots or brassicas, which reduce soil nitrogen levels, encouraging the establishment of the legumes in a multi-species grass seed mixture.

Checklist: Sowing multi-species

1. Choose fertile fields with pH 6.0-6.5 and Index 2+ for P & K.
2. Spray off old sward and remove trash before cultivation.
3. Apply lime as indicated by soil test results to help break down the old sward.
4. Cultivate and roll to create a fine and firm seedbed.
5. Sow at the recommended seed rate for the mixture. Go no deeper than 5-10mm, and roll well after sowing. Good soil-to-seed contact is essential for quick and successful establishment
6. Apply a starter fertiliser as recommended by a FACTS advisor.
7. Monitor new sward for pests.

7. Managing multi-species swards

Grazing

• Early grazing helps promote growth and encourages roots to anchor, but avoid hoof damage and over-grazing. An early cut can also help control annual broadleaf weeds.
• Graze approximately eight weeks after sowing, when plants can withstand the pull test.
  • This is done by trying to tear off a handful of grass. If the whole plant comes out, the sward needs more time to establish – if just the leaf tears, it’s ready to graze.
  • You can also look for when plantain has six true leaves and when perennial chicory has seven true leaves per plant.
• Rotationally graze for best results (e.g. graze 1-3 days, rest 25-30 days).
• Target post-grazing residual of 6cm.
• Avoid hard grazing or grazing under poor ground conditions to protect the herbs and red clover from damage and potential loss of productivity and persistency

Pests and disease control

There are limited agrochemical options for controlling pests and diseases, so good management is necessary. Break cropping as part of a rotation is useful. Brassica fodder crops are a good option as a pest and disease break, but also as an additional quality forage.

Common pests include:

• Slugs: particularly troublesome in drilled crops
• Stem eelworm: distorts buds and young leaves
• Sitona weevil: more common in areas close to arable crops
• Leatherjackets: check for damage after ploughing old pastures

Bloat risk 

Bloat is the excessive build-up of gas (carbon dioxide and methane) in the rumen, produced by the rapid breakdown of clover protein. This causes distress and possible death due to the exertion of pressure on the animal’s diaphragm, heart and lungs. 

Legumes can present an increased bloat risk in cattle. While the risk is always present in high clover swards, and further heightened in late summer and early autumn on damp days, you can minimise the risks of bloat by adopting these best practices: 

• Limiting access to clover swards when stock are first introduced. For example, by using a breakfast break that forces the animals to graze grass with fibre.  
• Avoiding turnout of hungry stock onto high clover fields 
• Feeding high dry matter forage such as hay/straw before turnout. 
• Offering hay/straw at intervals (for example, to dairy cows at milking times). 
• Administering an anti-bloat treatment to livestock (for example, bloat oil in the water). 
• In high-risk periods, check livestock often following turnout. Treat animals immediately where necessary. 

Boost soil and stock

Want to do more with multi-species? You can find mixture options in our Climate Smart Thrive range. Offering performance plus sustainability, these mixtures have been expertly formulated to give you the best of both, with no compromise on production.