Two groups of cows will be grazed for 1-month long periods in paddocks of two different sward types: perennial ryegrass monoculture (PRG) and a multi-species sward (MSS) comprising of PRG, timothy, white and red clovers, chicory, and plantain. The Grass Is Greener project will assess cow behaviour on these different sward types and evaluate any impacts on cow welfare via leg mounted accelerometers, fitted on all cows as standard farm practice.

Between these month-long grazing periods, all cows will be given the choice of both sward types (MIX), with their behaviour and welfare being assessed again, as well as their location recorded (PRG or MSS) to assess preference.

The Grass Is Greener project would collect additional data from an existing European funded grazing project, Re-Livestock, taking place at SRUC’s Barony campus.