Nutritional composition of multispecies grass and legume swards

Understanding the nutritional profile of your sward is key to meeting livestock performance targets – whether you are finishing lambs, feeding dairy cows or grazing youngstock. Multispecies and clover-based swards can deliver excellent protein, energy and fibre when well-managed. 

Legumes such as white clover, red clover, lucerne and birdsfoot trefoil are naturally high in crude protein (CP), often ranging from 18–25%, depending on growth stage and sward management: 

• Spring: 22–25% CP – young, leafy growth with high protein value 
• Summer: 18–22% CP – flowering and heat can lower CP slightly 
• Autumn: 18–20% CP – still strong, especially with good regrowth 

For every 10% increase in clover content in a sward, CP in first-cut silage typically increases by around 1%. 

Herbs such as chicory and plantain add moderate levels of protein, around 12–18%, complementing legumes: 

• Spring: 16–18% CP – leafy and fresh 
• Summer: 14–16% CP – slight drop with stemmy growth 
• Autumn: 12–14% CP – may decrease due to maturity or drought stress 

These protein levels make mixed swards particularly valuable for dairy cows, youngstock and finishing cattle or lambs. 

Metabolisable energy (ME) is vital for driving animal performance. Multispecies and clover/grass swards typically provide 10–12 MJ/kg DM, depending on season and grazing management: 

• Spring: 11.5–12 MJ/kg DM – peak digestibility and nutrient density 
• Summer: 10.5–11.5 MJ/kg DM – reduced energy as growth matures 
• Autumn: 10–11 MJ/kg DM – dependent on regrowth and weather 
  

Key species contributions: 

• Grasses such as perennial ryegrass and meadow fescue are the main ME contributors when leafy and rotationally grazed 
• Legumes are good ME contributors, especially when actively growing and leaf-rich 
• For herbs, ME varies from 10.5–11.5 MJ/kg DM in spring but can fall below 10 MJ/kg DM if mature or flowering 

How you manage your sward has a bigger impact on energy value than species choice alone: 

• Rotational grazing helps maintain high ME by keeping plants in a leafy, digestible state 
• Mob grazing, if poorly timed, can allow plants to mature and lower feed quality 

A well-managed clover/grass ley can outperform pure ryegrass swards in energy and protein value. 

Typical protein and energy values by forage type and season, showing how species and management affect feed quality year-round. 

Multispecies swards provide balanced fibre, critical for rumen function and steady energy release: 

• Grasses like perennial ryegrass support structural fibre and digestibility 
• Herbs like chicory contribute to rumen health and fibre diversity 
• The mix helps optimise rumen fill and feed intake