Context:Average sward height has traditionally been used as a grazing management variable. However, such approach ignores the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of swards. Because the intake rate responds non-linearly to average height at plant level, we expected that sheep exposed to contrasting grazing methods with similar average heights would behave differently. Conclusions:Intake responses of sheep differed between grazing methods with similar average height due to sward heterogeneity over time and space. Grazing mechanisms were not directly affected by the treatments but were influenced by the sward heterogeneity imposed by the grazing management. Implications:Grazing management requires not only consideration of the average sward height, but also an understanding of how the resource is distributed in time and space. © 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing