Mob grazing on Bodmin Moor

Ben Thomas farms on the edge of Bodmin Moor with his wife Claudia, rearing beef, sheep and pigs using a regenerative system. He was a guest on Farming Focus™ with Hannah Jones from Farm Carbon Toolkit to discuss the concept of mob grazing.

Whether you call it mob, paddock or cell grazing, the principles are the same. It’s all about the frequent movement of animals followed by a rest period for that grassland.

Using this approach is how Ben manages to graze cattle 365 days/year on the edge of Bodmin Moor despite the area’s high rainfall, supplementing the rotation with bale grazing during winter when grass growth slows.

He moves his cows every day, having sub-divided the farm into a 60-day rotation of 1-acre blocks based around factors such as water supply and shade, leaving 20 additional acres for cutting.

Building grazing covers

With long rest periods between grazings, Ben advised not grazing too hard: “Because you have this long rest period, the key for me is not grazing everything right out. So always leaving something behind, a wedge sometimes I call it - you're leaving green leaf behind that is then quicker to respond, to regrow.

“All through the summer, we're building up covers to get us through if we have a dry spell. We’ve got grass in the bank. But then crucially, we've got a good thick mat of grass to graze through the winter as well and helps protect our soil by keeping the cattle off it.”

Increasing animal health

Ben and Hannah returned for a bonus episode on mob grazing, giving more ideas and advice on how to introduce this system of grazing successfully, plus explaining why Ben no longer uses wormers or flukicides and hasn’t seen New Forest eye since increasing his covers.

Ben and Hannah’s tips on mob grazing

1. Move your animals as much as is feasible. Even dividing a field in half with a trough accessible to both sides is a good place to start.

2. Use a portable water trough to save the expense of buying a trough for each grazing cell.

3. Shelter is a major welfare consideration in Cornwall, so must be considered when dividing fields.

Listen to the full main episode and bonus below - also available via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

About our guests

Ben Thomas is a beef farmer in Cornwall raising cattle on the edge of Bodmin Moor using a pasture-based system following regenerative farming principles. He was named Cornwall Farm Business Awards Rising Star in 2024 and was featured in the film, Six Inches of Soil.

Hannah Jones is Research Manager with Farm Carbon Toolkit, coordinating farm-based trials with a focus on the impact and applicability of the research. Her interests and drive centre on the business and environmental sustainability of farms.