CSP17 : Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (more than 80%)

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

£146 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

The aim of this supplemental action is that more than 80% of grazing livestock units ( GLU ) on sensitive grassland habitats are rare native breeds at risk livestock.

The purpose of this is to maintain or increase the number of rare native breeds at risk livestock.

Where you can do this action

You can only do this supplemental action on eligible land that you’re grazing with livestock on the native breeds support ( NBS ) list in the ‘at risk’ category.

From 1 April 2026, the native breeds at risk ( NBAR ) list was replaced by the UK native breeds support ( NBS ) list .

This change does not affect the eligibility of native breed livestock in existing Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements.

You can do this supplemental action with any of the following CSHT base actions:

CUP2: Manage rough grazing for birds

CGS18: Manage species-rich floodplain meadows

CGS26: Manage grassland with very low inputs

CGS22: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland

CGS20: Manage wet grassland for breeding waders

CGS19: Manage wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl

CGS21: Manage grassland for target habitats, species or features

CHS7: Manage historic water meadows through traditional irrigation

CBE4: Manage traditional orchards

CBE5: Create traditional orchards

CWD22: Manage wood pasture

CWD21: Restore wood pasture and parkland

CWD20: Create wood pasture

CAGF4: Manage very low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land

CAGF2: Manage low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land

CAGF3: Manage medium density in-field agroforestry

CAGF1: Manage high density in-field agroforestry

Your Natural England adviser will agree with you what other supplemental actions may be needed to meet the intended environmental outcomes. This could include:

CGS16: Rush control supplement

CGS23: Haymaking supplement

CGS24: Haymaking supplement (late cut)

CSP1: Difficult site supplement

CSP11: Manage scrapes and gutters supplement

CSP2: Rewetting supplement

CSP3: Bracken control supplement

CSP5: Shepherding supplement (non-moorland)

CSP6: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)

CSP7: Introduction of cattle grazing on the Isles of Scilly supplement

CSP9: Support for threatened species

CSW26: Enhanced floodplain storage 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 action, you must:

have more than 80% of the total GLU grazed by a registered pedigree or heritage semi-feral livestock breed on the land entered into the relevant base action

have animals present and maintained on the holding to graze from the first grazing season and during subsequent grazing seasons graze grassland consistent with an agreed stocking calendar

maintain a monthly record of stock grazing the land

You must use livestock that appear on the UK NBS list in the ‘at risk’ category.

To convert livestock numbers into GLU , your Natural England adviser will decide on the appropriate value depending on the type and breed of livestock grazing the area. They may 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

pig – 0.44

poultry – 0.017

Lambs at foot do not have a separate GLU allocation, they are included in the figure for the ewe.

Native breeds will only be allowed where they’ll meet the aims of the base action and have been agreed by a 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, including:

field operations at a land parcel level

associated invoices

photographs

You must produce the following written records where applicable:

a monthly record of grazing animals at the parcel level

animal movement identification numbers for each eligible animal

changes to the original documentation since the action’s start date, such as replacement animals

the pedigree or heritage semi-feral registration number or birth notification number for each eligible animal (this information acts as proof of the breed’s registration,  its animal provenance, parentage and availability)

Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:

Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments

consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest ( SSSI )

You may need to:

agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser

get advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other historic or archaeological features on your agreement land

get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat

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 funding through 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 with you.

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.

How to calculate your native breed percentage

You can use the native breeds grazing calculator to calculate the percentage of native breeds on your land. Your Natural England adviser will work with you to identify the appropriate CSHT supplement and native breed percentage for your site.

Eligible native breeds

If you’re sourcing native breed animals, try to choose animals which have been bred and reared on a similar habitat to where you’ll be grazing them.

If you have not used native rare breeds before you can get help from graziers or livestock conservation organisations like the Rare Breeds Survival Trust .

You may find it helpful to read the Grazing Animals Project Breed Profiles Handbook .

Using livestock to manage the habitat

What livestock you use will affect the habitat in different ways.

To achieve greater environmental benefit for each habitat, use:

a livestock species with suitable behavioural traits

a suitable number of livestock

You can choose to mix livestock to create a more varied habitat.

Choosing unsuitable livestock and herd size for the habitat could:

damage it

increase surface water run-off

damage any historic or archaeological features present

Grazing traits of livestock

Ponies

Ponies will graze:

long coarse grass, such as purple moor-grass

bracken particularly in autumn

gorse

swards into a dense, well established grass cover (‘tight sward’) – at low stocking densities, ponies can create a good structural mosaic habitat

It is not appropriate to use ponies to graze wet grassland during the nesting season of breeding waders.

Cattle

Cattle will graze:

longer, coarse grass of low forage quality, such as purple moor-grass particularly in spring and early summer

wet grassland during spring, summer and autumn, particularly habitat that supports breeding waders

less selectively than sheep and create a more varied sward

Remove cattle from a wet area over winter to reduce the risk of poaching.

Sheep

Sheep will graze vegetation into a tight sward, they:

are selective feeders, often choosing young flowers and shoots

prefer not to eat long coarse grasses, such as purple moor-grass, if alternative food is available

It is not appropriate to use sheep to graze wet grassland during the nesting season of breeding waders.

Browsing traits of livestock

Goats

Goats are agile and will climb to steeper habitats than sheep or cattle. They will also browse woody and thorny vegetation. They can be more selective about what they browse or graze than sheep.

Foraging traits of livestock

Pigs

Use pigs for foraging with great care. In most instances their behaviour will result in damage to habitats. You can remove them from the area over the winter months to reduce this risk.

You will need to discuss with your Natural England adviser, the:

appropriate herd number to use to manage a habitat

best time to graze them

Pigs can:

clear dense ground vegetation such as bracken

break up soil to create seed beds for natural regeneration

Poultry

When poultry forage they:

break down cattle manure that can benefit soil health

reduce the intensity of parasitic worm eggs (‘worm burden’) to preserve livestock health

You can use poultry as part of a multi-species grazing model with cattle and sheep. They can damage plants if left in one place for too long. To minimise damage, you will need to discuss with your Natural England adviser, the:

appropriate flock number to use to manage a habitat

best time to use them

Managing neighbouring livestock

If your agreement land is unfenced, neighbouring livestock could stray onto your land. This could affect your ability to achieve the aims of this supplement. You may need to either:

fence your land

speak to neighbouring land managers about removing their livestock

Eligible land

Same as base action.