As such, no. However, providing natural grazing as an ecological service requires guidance and attention. Most of the costs come from certain demands from today's society: cattle and horses are usually legally raised animals subject to regulations (often originating in agriculture), animals must be registered and made identifiable, supplementary feed must be provided in exceptional cases, grids and signage require maintenance and public information and guidance requires continued attention.

Managing nature areas by enrolling farm animals often seems to cost nothing. The farmer is usually all to happy to bring his cows to graze. However, when the various agricultural subsidies are taken into account, the social costs of grazing by farmed animals are higher than in the case of natural grazing.