Soil Series #8: How Multi-Species Grazing Helps Build Healthier Soil
posted on
June 26, 2026
Soil Series #8: How Multi-Species Grazing Helps Build Healthier Soil
On most farms, a pasture is grazed by one type of animal.
Cattle graze with cattle.
Sheep graze with sheep.
But regenerative farms often take a different approach by allowing multiple types of livestock to work the same land.
This practice is called multi-species grazing, and it can have a surprisingly positive impact on pasture health and soil biology.
At Dos Lobos Ranch, we’ve experimented with integrating several different animals into our system, including cattle, pigs, poultry, and other livestock.
Each species interacts with the pasture in slightly different ways — and those differences can help improve the entire ecosystem.
Different Animals Use Pasture Differently
Every grazing animal has its own preferences when it comes to forage.
Cattle tend to prefer grasses.
Goats and sheep often browse shrubs and broadleaf plants.
Pigs root and disturb the soil surface in small patches.
Poultry scratch through manure and plant residue.
Because of these differences, multiple species can work together to use pasture more completely than a single species alone.
This diversity helps reduce the dominance of any one plant type and encourages a more balanced plant community.
Nutrient Cycling Improves
Different animals also process nutrients in different ways.
When animals graze pasture, they return nutrients back to the soil through manure and urine.
With multiple species moving across the pasture:
- manure types vary
- decomposition patterns change
- insects and microbes respond differently
This increases the diversity of biological activity in the soil.
A more diverse soil ecosystem tends to be more stable and productive over time.
Breaking Pest and Parasite Cycles
Another benefit of multi-species grazing is that many parasites and pests are species-specific.
For example, parasites that affect cattle typically do not infect poultry, and vice versa.
By rotating different animals through the same pasture, farmers can help disrupt parasite life cycles and reduce pressure on any one species.
This can lead to healthier animals and reduced reliance on treatments.
Encouraging Soil Disturbance in the Right Amount
Small amounts of disturbance can actually benefit pasture ecosystems.
Animals walking across the pasture:
- press plant residue into the soil
- break up surface crusts
- stimulate plant regrowth
Poultry scratching and pigs lightly disturbing the surface can also help incorporate organic material into the soil. Pigs can also stir up old seed banks and bring back native species of plants quicker.
The key is controlled disturbance, followed by adequate rest.
Working With Nature’s Diversity
Natural ecosystems rarely rely on a single species.
Grasslands historically supported a wide variety of animals interacting with the land in different ways.
By introducing multiple livestock species into our grazing system, we are trying to recreate some of that natural diversity.
Each species contributes something slightly different to the system, and together they help strengthen the soil and pasture.
Building a More Resilient Farm
Multi-species grazing is not about adding animals just for the sake of variety.
It’s about creating a system where plants, animals, and soil organisms all work together.
Over time, this diversity can help improve:
- pasture utilization
- soil biological activity
- nutrient cycling
- ecosystem resilience
The goal is not simply to produce livestock, but to manage a healthy landscape that can support animals for many years to come.
What’s Next in the Soil Series
In the next post, we’ll explore another tool we use to support soil health on the ranch:
Compost and biochar.
These amendments help feed soil biology and improve soil structure, especially in areas where pasture has been historically degraded.
— Dos Lobos Ranch
What 3 Years of Regenerative Farming at Dos Lobos Ranch has Actually Done
