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This report is a bit of an eye-opener.
“Farmers should not place cattle with calves in fields where members of the public have a legal right to walk.
https://press.hse.gov.uk/2023/11/24/farmer-fined-after-cow-attack-left-man-fearing-for-his-life/
Thoughts?
"Should not" is just advisory
Can see it both ways, farmers gotta farm and if you're a dog owner and don't know the risks then more fool you. Om the other hand people have died, there the legal access principle at risk and last but not least its not always possible to see the cows until its too late in some fields.
Honestly dont know which way to go on this one, lots of terrible farmers out there trying to erode access rights, loads of thoughtless entitled dog walkers as well. On the other hand theres plenty of farmers who really are stewards of the land desperately trying to make a living as well as responsible and careful dog walkers.
HSE seem to be on the fence with should not vs must not.
'Should not' because the HSE can't put a blanket ban on it.
They would have to identify the individual farms (business) that are doing it and serve an improvement notice or even a prohibition notice on that specific farm/business.
But as guidance, with a (hopefully) thinly veiled threat that they will prosecute all they learn have not heeded the guidance, is a good thing.
Owning or leasing land (that was in the majority of cases stolen from the populous and given to cronies, who then sold this onto others or still extort £££ rent each week) comes with responsibilities.
It's getting hard for farmers to keep up with all this, think there needs to be a bit more planning and assistance from local councils in this type of thing, instead of just continuing with some path running through a field, i've cycled around this area many times, there's not much in Monkton Farleigh, nice pub back in the day, but you'd go walking around Brown's Folly rather than through a field, especially with a dog in tow. It was the same with the guy who died down near Turleigh (near Bradford on Avon again) about a decade ago, in all my time riding around there, i never went through the field with cattle, only the farm roads that intersected the fields.
Most of the incidents i've known off, it's just people treating 500kg to 1000kg of meat on legs, that can move faster than them as being docile, not giving them enough room, or more importantly, not keeping your distance from them whilst knowing the nearest exit if they move, yes, farmers need to not put cows and calves in fields that are going to potentially have people wandering through, but the flip side is that people need to get smarter, the injured man in this one stated he saw the calves, yet still went into that field with his dog.
Basically what Argee says. I have walked and cycled in fields with cattle - even with calves but I have a little knowledge of them. Never had an issue apart from being charged by a bunch of bullocks - who will run away again if you shout boo at them. Cows with calves - give them a wide berth and never get between a mother and a calf.
Its education that is needed not impossible to implement guidance
Every other business has to comply with HSAW Act. Why should farms be exempt ? (They aren't).
Imagine going into a shopping centre (where you don't even have the legal right of way to be only allowed to by the owners at certain times) and you had exposed live cables and junction boxes left open or laying around for people to be electrocuted with.
You'd all think that was recklessly irresponsible. Yet public footpaths through fields...
Farms need to take a lot of H+S more seriously for their own good too- it would help reduce rhe number of farmers that lose limbs in machinery or even die every single year. Even simple stuff like turning the ****en engine off before sticking a hand into a machine for starters !
correct - they are no exempt but mitigation needs to be reasonable and practicable - and segregating a herd from all the rights of way on the land may simply not be either - as that guidance states
the other way to look at it is would a footpath thru other industrial premises be reasonable? A farm is a working environment
Given the density of public footpaths in some areas, this could be disastrous for unlucky farms. It is also a menace to those wanting access to rural areas. Paths will be fenced in, just like the first path in England at Marshall Meadow or there will be increased pressure to close some. Then it is one big extra obstacle for trying to get closer to the Scottish model or worse still, encourage push back against Scottish rights.
This is very bad news. Thank goodness I just have 200m of bridleway now. Funny thing is when I was involved in farming it, we grazed it and it was kept open by hungry cattle. Good luck using it in Summer now.
Its education that is needed not impossible to implement guidance<br /><br />
isn’t that your position on how to behave around dogs? 😉
the scottish model is NOT unlimited access. Its responsible access and there are duties placed on people using the land for recreation as well as on landowners.
Education for the dog owners jambo? 🙂 Dog owners have a legal duty to have their dogs under control. No such duty exists for cattle. Its not the same.
There's no money in most farming these days, especially if they've got cattle and limited grazing fields, with the removal of payment schemes after Brexit, and most normal farmers having a black hole in finances, it's already highlighted increases in H&S failures over the last few years, with a lot of older, tired farmers, using old and tired equipment.
There is a real need to fund rights of way in the UK, the removal of payments will have a real knock on i think, farmers get funds via the basic payment scheme, which is changing soon, and reducing each year, that's to assist in maintaining and looking after RoW's, i can't see them being happy to continue owning those liabilities with less and less funding in the coming years!
Given the density of public footpaths in some areas, this could be disastrous for unlucky farms.
The key words here are "where possible".
There are cases of farmers using dangerous cattle (and signage to match) to scare people off using RoW, when they have plenty of other land they could put them on when appropriate.
Meanwhile, in the urban arena, dogs outnumber humans 4*1?
Dogs are now as ubiquitous as livestock was, back in the day (pre-industrial).
We’re living amongst this mass of ‘livestock’, but there’s no up to date legislation in place to cater to their needs.
Maybe some kind of fenced off areas for the dogs to poop (isn’t that how it’s done in New York?
Some kind of standpipe for hot days?
Rights of way across farmland come with responsibilities...keep dog on lead and...
People who fail to observe Wheaton's Law, only have themselves to blame.
there are duties placed on people using the land for recreation as well as on landowners.
Very much this.
I think it's commonsense that bulls and cows with calves shouldn't be in areas with public access. Cows, in my experience, just ignore humans unless they have calves. Obviously, keeping dogs on a leash is also commonsensical when there is livestock around.
A few years ago a woman walking her dog alongside the River Avon, just upstream from the old Calne railway, now Sustrans route 403, was trampled and killed by cows with calves. She held onto the dogs lead, instead of letting it go, which would have distracted the cattle leaving her unharmed. The thing is, and I’ve walked where she was walking in the past, it’s not a recognised footpath, it’s just where people in Chippenham have walked for decades. Under those circumstances, who’s to blame, if anyone?
I’ve also walked footpaths in fields with cattle and calves, and never, ever felt threatened, the cattle have seemed largely indifferent to me being there, on one occasion a cow wandered up and let me scratch her nose while she licked my fingers, while the calves were a little distance away.
The issue is always the presence of dogs, and I’ve been up by the Wansdyke where there’s been cattle with calves and seen people walking through fields, not on footpaths, with dogs just running around the cattle, unfortunately too far away to do or say anything.
In the case linked to above, that’s an arrogant landowner who thinks he has no responsibility to take appropriate steps to protect the public, but more often it’s the public who are not taking responsibility for their actions while on someone else’s property and place of work.
Farms are working environments and should be treated as such which includes recognising potential risks and behaving accordingly.
It isn't possible to 'design out' all of the potential risks on a working farm.
Would you take your family for a stroll across the local scrap yard on a working day? How about a haulage yard or bus depot?
As Drac says ^^^ public education should come first.
Properly segregated footpaths along field boundaries would be a solution but I don't see why farmers should be responsible for the cost including continuing maintenance.
A proper standard for warning signs and legally mandated installation of them would be helpful but, as above, farmers shouldn't carry the cost.
Don't take your bloody dig there in the first place. We have got to stop this silly self entitlement in this country. Any famer making a living and providing food, and thus reducing imports with the attached financial and environmental burden has a much bigger priority than someone want a bit of recreation.
Meanwhile, in the urban arena, dogs outnumber humans 4*1?
Dogs are now as ubiquitous as livestock was, back in the day (pre-industrial).
Is that true? Seem to be fewer dogs now than there were when I was growing up in the 80’s. Bonus being that the ones I see now are generally accompanied by a human. Back then that wasn’t always the case. We had three locally that you’d see out and about by themselves.
I don’t understand anyone that doesn’t treat any massive animal with a degree of caution. Cows are bloody huge and best given a wide berth in my opinion. Same applies to horses. Big, dumb and easily spooked isn’t the best combination.
Cows with calves shouldn't be in a field with a RoW, and it was neglectful (at best) for the farmer to have done so, and I reckon he probs knew that given that the report says it was him that called the cows off, and he got fined for his mistake. Whatever the rights and wrongs about letting the public onto a working environment (a farm field) the right exists, and any half awake farmer knows it. Yes folks can be idiots, but the onus is rightly on the farmer, because they shouldn't be.
Is that true? Seem to be fewer dogs now than there were when I was growing up in the 80’s.
No the dog numbers have spiked since lockdown, I've seen numbers that suggest dog numbers have tripled at least. Although in this case, dog was older than that and he was a dog trainer so presumably knew what was what.
I’ve been in places attempting to follow a footpath to find a complete lack of signage, blocked paths or locked gates and sometimes ended up in cattle enclosures - it’s no fun near the end of a long walk or run to come down off a hill on a marked and signposted trail to find you can’t get around or through a farmyard to get back to a road. Most of the time, it appears to be a deliberate act by a farmer to make access difficult.
In many upland areas in Scotland, cattle are often just roaming freely during the summer months, but the highland and other breeds are a lot more docile and can’t recall any problems even with a dog in tow.
Dog owners need to know how to deal with cattle. (In a nutshell, let the dog look after itself. Picking a small dog up also seems to work but I don’t know if this is reliable enough to recommend.)
My wife and I came across a bull on a bridleway this summer and there didn’t appear to be cows present, which I believe is illegal, but I didn’t follow up. It’s possible there were cows over the brow of the hill. Worse, there was another bull just over the river (that one definitely did have cows) and they were having an angry bellowing match. Fortunately they both wandered off after a few minutes. I wasn’t worried as I can easily outrun my wife.
(Actually we were eyeing up the wall/fence ready to jump over if necessary.)
Obviously, keeping dogs on a leash is also commonsensical when there is livestock around.
Only around sheep with lambs or in lamb. Around cattle the dog is off-lead and walking to heel or allowed to run away if the cattle get too interested. I'll not be crossing field of pigs mind!
Cows with calves are common all over the countryside here, is it really against some code of conduct? Where are they meant to be?
[Sancotomonious vegetarian mode]
And how many cows have you killed?
[/Sanctimonious vegetarian mode]
The amount of land that the public have a legal right to walk on is a tiny % of the country.
It's not great, but in Southern England it still feels like a footpath arround/through at least every other field. Thinking about large areas like the Thames valley with huge open fields unsuitable for crops, and footpaths allong the river, canals and tributaries, or the Chilterns which is an absolute spiders web of paths.
Anything that completely banned activities from footpaths would ammount to a defacto total ban as it possibly wouldn't be economical to farm on the remainder.
Where are they meant to be?
In fields that don't have a RoW through them.
Where reasonable and practicable NIckc. Its not a legal "must" its a "should" and like all mitigations under HSA the two caveats apply
We have got to stop this silly self entitlement in this country. Any famer making a living and providing food, and thus reducing imports with the attached financial and environmental burden has a much bigger priority than someone want a bit of recreation.
But "access", but "all land owners are the enemy of the people", but...
Both sides need to take responsibility, clearly, which requires education on both sides, but there also needs to a sense of perspective. Knee jerk legislation to tragic, but fortunately rare, incidents is rarely a good idea. Fence off all rivers as people may drown?
Yet public footpaths through fields…
Yet footpaths right next to roads, or even worse, roads without footpaths!
If we're back to "one death is too many" and folk want cows & calves banned from being in fields with access, when are we banning vehicles from every road except those with no pedestrian access?
Local to me a land owner (recently bought the place) has segmented up their land and put a bull and some younger males (no cows) in the segment where the foot path goes through. Plus a load of beware of the bull signs and rerouted a foot path so the gate location is now a muddy mess.
All these things are illegal and I've notified the council but... Nothing.
Public education should come first.
There's a significant portion of "the public" who can't or won't be educated. In fact, I reckon the cows are more intelligent than half the people walking through the fields.
How long has the countryside code been around, the "don't light fires" and "don't have BBQs" messages? And yet every day there are ****wits doing exactly that.
Ewan - bullocks or bull calves ie do they still have their knackers? Bullocks are not dangerous at all - just stupid bored and inquisitive. they usually have their knackers removed when pretty young
This example near Frome was posted by Right to Roam recently.
Don't want to see landowners taking measures like this any time soon 😐
I think the root cause of all this is that our rights of way infrastructure/ legislation isn’t fit for purpose and isn’t funded properly. Some farmers think that they can get away with discouraging access and some probably don’t take it seriously. Perhaps they will now. Wouldn’t it be great if payment schemes favoured public benefits such as public access and paid for them so that access is much improved? I’ve seen long term well used permissive paths removed from farms when a scheme changed and the farmer no longer got cash for access.<br /><br />
I also think some farmers aren’t taking h&s seriously, not all of them, but I don’t think the industry has caught up with the modern industrial world in that respect. Culture, income levels, isolation all play parts I guess.
There’s also something about responsible dog ownership as well in that there are seemingly to some, no sanctions regarding your behaviour with your dog. See dog poo trees etc, often the actions you experience as a responsible user of the countryside are the result of those who went before you.
The amount of land that the public have a legal right to walk on is a tiny % of the country.
Depends which country you're talking about.
Again, I've also ridden through fields of cows plenty of times, I've had the daft buggers chasing me only to stop and run away when I decided they were getting too close and stopped to hop over the fence. I can see how that could lull someone into a false sense of security and not recognise the difference.
I agree more education is needed.
I've often thought about this with bulls, I've seen a few signs over the years at gates to fields which has put me off from entering and finding an alternative route.
If the sign is genuine and there is a genuine risk from being attacked by a bull, is a sign enough to mitigate it?
Or could the sign be fake to discourage walkers?
Who'd a thought it , mud in the countryside , whatever next ?
Sorry couldn't resist.
As for h&s on farms, it's one of the most deadly professions in the UK, so I'd hope they were taking it seriously.
Let's be honest I have walked with relatives close to the urban fringe and who in their right mind enjoys walking along a fenced off path? Obviously done by landowners keen to minimise problems but where's the pleasure ? I'd rather take my chances in the open , bull or no bull, tin foil hat on.
Rights of way across farmland come with responsibilities…keep dog on lead and
End up squished by cattle.
I would never keep my dog on a lead near cattle. If my dog was likely to try and chase them I would just avoid, but she's not so she goes off lead. I'd put her on lead around sheep though on the odd occasion she has come across sheep unexpectedly she has not chased them.
She can outrun cattle, I can't.
There’s a significant portion of “the public” who can’t or won’t be educated. In fact, I reckon the cows are more intelligent than half the people walking through the fields.
Exactly, which is why the onus (rightly) is on the farmer, because they should know intimately what cattle with calves can/will do. The countryside is traversed with RoW and has been since the dawn of time, nothing here as changed, nothing here is new. Protect your livestock by keeping them away (as far as you can) from folks who don't know one end from the other.
The countryside is traversed with RoW and has been since the dawn of time, nothing here as changed, nothing here is new.
The thing that is new is self-entitled twunts who think that having a footpath through a field gives them the right to use the whole field for exercising their dogs, and the ignorance or arrogance towards livestock.
The logical conclusion is fenced corridors as per the pictures above. Be careful what you wish for.
I'd ban dog owners from fields, as most have less brain cells than their furry friend. What idiot goes near big animals and their young ? It's mad we have to protect against idiots.
We were on a bridleway in summer (open field) and one of the lads suspected a foal in the next field belonged to the horse that was stood near the bridleway, so we diverted away from the horse so as to go no-where near it.
and the ignorance or arrogance towards livestock.
Well I imagine that's going to happen precisely once in each case isn't it?
This is what I mean about farmers paying attention to this shit. They don't want the hassle of dealing with stupid walkers and their even stupider dogs , walkers shouldn't be put in the situation of having to deal with your dumb-assed cows. If, on the other hand you don't give a shit about money, or being fined, then by all means leave you cows unattended in fields with popular RoW in them, and you'll soon have won the stupid prize for entering the stupid competition, like the farmer in the article.
.
Who’d a thought it , mud in the countryside , whatever next ?
Cattle?
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7211526
Ewan – bullocks or bull calves ie do they still have their knackers? Bullocks are not dangerous at all – just stupid bored and inquisitive. they usually have their knackers removed when pretty young
Well I didn't get that close to check, I just verified they didn't have udders (one of them was a huge bull, none were cows). Whilst they may be bored and inquisitive they are still dangerous (esp since I had a toddler with me - I turned around) and it's illegal to have them in a field with a foot path going through it. The land in question is open park land (now slightly less open as the owner has out some fences up) - the new owner is not keen on people walking on the foot path (they have asked me not to!).
From farmers weekly (i'm guessing they're correct! but ramblers etc also agree):
The general rule set out in statute is that it is an offence to allow a bull in a field crossed by a public right of way, but there are exceptions to this.
No offence will be committed if either: the bull in question is under 10 months old or it does not belong to a recognised dairy breed and is at large in any field or enclosure in which cows or heifers are also at large.
A dairy breed defined by the act is one of the following: Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry.
Since the bulls/bullocks don't have cows or heifers with them, it's illegal.
Bullocks are not bulls and not illegal to have in a field next to a footpath. Neither are bull calves as your quote makes clear.
Bulls it is illegal
Bullocks are not bulls and not illegal to have in a field next to a footpath. Neither are bull calves as your quote makes clear.
Bulls it is illegal
The situation as explained was that there was a mature bull and several males (which may or may not had balls). Since there were no female cows at all and the bull was clearly over 10 months old, it is illegal as my quote makes clear.
Note the legislation make no distinction between a castrated bull and an uncastrated bull.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69
Collins dictionary would take issue with that: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bullock
Either way, the legislation recognises bulls, heifers, and cows - if bullocks were ok then it seems likely that they would specify. It also seems likely that the NFU, Farmers Weekly, HSE, ramblers, etc would probably call out this gaping loophole.
This is besides the point, as I'm sure you can see the situation I described is illegal as there is a bull in a field over ten months old that is unaccompanied by cows or heifers.
Bull is illegal yes. Bullocks and bull calves are not.
A Male that is castrated is a Bullock not a bull
Since there were no female cows at all and the bull was clearly over 10 months old, it is illegal as my quote makes clear.
What breed were they? How old were they! Were they bullocks or bulls?
Public education as I say.
it's probably specialist knowledge for many, unsurprisingly, but the situation was likely not illegal. From your quote of the coutryside act:
"... it does not belong to a recognised dairy breed and is at large in any field or enclosure in which cows or heifers are also at large.
A dairy breed defined by the act is one of the following: Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry."
At first glance, most beef breeds, such as Herefords, Simmentals, Charolais, Aberdeen Angus, Limousin present a much bigger, muscular physique in a mature bull than a Friesian/Holstein but I know I'd rather be in a field with a dopey Angus or Hereford than a lanky black and white beastie...
Limousins can be awkward customers. Only bad bull I ever worked with was a Lim. About 20 years ago a gas engineer was killed by one in a road in Lanarkshire by one. Broke out of a field.
I usually looked after Herefords. We used A I for the Jerseys Jersey bulls are evil.
I wonder if Welsh farmer is watching this thread, s****ing at the amateur speculations.
@fasgadh Yes, good point about Limousins, and they can run like horses!
I'm not directly involved in farming nowadays, but my brother is. All of his suckler cows are now Stabilisers, which are nice and placid. Sticking to the topic of cattle-H&S, they are a pretty nondescript brown breed, which look a bit like any number of beef x store cattle, and i'd question most people's ability to judge them from the edge of a field, with calves or not.
There are a few trend that have affected the situation: Suckler herds have become common since the extensification subsidies until the early 00's. Beef cattle being less labor intensive, and the collapse of small producers in milk production as well as the recent trend of grass-fed beef as a preference means they are more viable. As a result there are lot more cows and calves in lowland pasture where there weren't 20 years ago. Also, since the BSE crisis, there is a 30 month maximum age stipulation for prime beef cattle. (there's a bit more latitude now, but commercially, it's under 30 months) Hence, a lot more younger cattle than years ago.
It's also probably the case that a lot fewer dog owners encounter cattle, so they and their dogs aren't used to the animals, nor can they identify potential dangers, like cows and calves. As has been noted above, there's a balance between an uncontrolled dog off the lead, chasing livestock, and an owner being trampled by keeping their dog on the lead close to them and being unable to fend off cattle. Personally, I would avoid cows in a field with cattle if I had my dogs with me, but if I did have a load of cows run towards me, I'd let them off and trust my recall- dogs can usually outrun cattle. Also, cattle will chase you if you run -because, why not!? It's fun for them. Stand your ground, wave your arms and shout every expletive you know at them and they will generally get scared- they're not looking for a fight. Carrying a stick makes you a lot more confident, and if it feels bad, whack them across the nose with it, that stops everything but the most determined dairy bull, and you shouldn't have got near to them at all. -And don't get behind any heifers or cows, even a little kick in the shin hurts like ****,
In the end though, farming communities, and anyone who wants to see greater public awareness and value in the countryside, needs to encourage access. No-one will care about an environment they have no access to or knowledge of. There is definitely a lot of toxic behaviour by farmers and defintely some massive ignorance by walkers, but it doesn't have to be a polarising issue.
I wonder if Welsh farmer is watching this thread, s****ing at the amateur speculations.
Indeed. And he is not the only farmer on here.
. The countryside is traversed with RoW and has been since the dawn of time, nothing here as changed, nothing here is new
And yet we've managed without fencing off those RoW for all this time....
Anyway, don't need me adding to the list of folks talking bullocks.
it’s probably specialist knowledge for many, unsurprisingly, but the situation was likely not illegal. From your quote of the coutryside act:
“… it does not belong to a recognised dairy breed and is at large in any field or enclosure in which cows or heifers are also at large.
A dairy breed defined by the act is one of the following: Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry.”
At first glance, most beef breeds, such as Herefords, Simmentals, Charolais, Aberdeen Angus, Limousin present a much bigger, muscular physique in a mature bull than a Friesian/Holstein but I know I’d rather be in a field with a dopey Angus or Hereford than a lanky black and white beastie…
It was a beef breed not a diary breed. A Belted Galloway. Either way, I still think i'm correct. The legislation says:
If, in a case not falling within subsection (2), the occupier of a field or enclosure crossed by a right of way to which this Part applies [F522or a restricted byway] permits a bull to be at large in the field or enclosure, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F523level 3 on the standard scale].
So there was a bull in the field that was not a bullock. Based on the above it's illegal unless....
Subsection (1) shall not apply to any bull which—
(a)does not exceed the age of ten months; or
(b)is not of a recognised dairy breed and is at large in any field or enclosure in which cows or heifers are also at large.
Exception (a) is not met as it was clearly not less than 10 months old. How do I know? My aunt and uncle are diary farmers and I'm not an idiot.
Exception (b) is not met as there were no cows or heifers also at large.
Therefore illegal. The bullock thing is irrelevant.
Unlike a Holstein this isn't a black and white issue, it's more grey like a Belgian Blue.
Farmers are under a lot of financial pressure right now and facing uncertainty regarding what payment are actually coming from the government to replace the EU Payments. This may mean a change in what they are using their land for and little money to make changes (would you trust this Government to be doing the right thing!)
Whilst we have had ROW since dawn of time, most people now have very little connection to farming and thus very little understanding of livestock animal behaviour.
Yes farmers need to ensure they keep known dangerous animals away from areas with ROW but for some they may have little choice in doing so without fencing those areas off (and being accused of stopping people using their land) given need to rotate land and stock. Yes there will be some who do go out of their way to be obstructive and they should be reported.
However many dog owners also need to be educated that they have reponsilbities beyond picking up the poo and hanging it on a tree too. being aware of behaviour and modifying their own. Sadly many don't feel that they should as they have RIGHTS but not RESPONSIBILITIES.
Perhaps a joint education campaign with NFU, Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Kennel Club is needed to actually provide some information.
Wouldn’t it be great if payment schemes favoured public benefits such as public access and paid for them so that access is much improved?
Think just now we're on the ending of the Basic Payment Scheme, which is changing and reducing, and may be disappearing fast, which in turn will mean all those RoWs on farmland will not be worth doing anything with for farmers in another few years, and with governments not caring about this, expect to see a cull of footpaths.
As for the comments about farmers should know better, they probably do, but they'll have limited grazing land and may be using that field due to disease, toxic risks in fields and so on, say there's a known badger sett with TB in the one you're using, do you risk the entire cattle being killed off due to proximity, or just move them, there are many reasons why this could happen, not just down to farmers should know better, most are just one cattle disaster away from giving up!
It was a beef breed not a diary breed.
That’s a turn up for the books.
There was an attempted cull of paths in E&W around 1985. We had CLA membership then and their publication was full of guff about them being anachronisms and needing "rationalisation". Marples and Beeching came to mind instantly. It was considered politically but fell foul of the rural vote - those most affected did not live in inner city areas! I have been expecting another try over the past few years.
I have never had hassle with cows unless there's a dog in picture somewhere - we had cows as a kid, and there's plenty around here, and I routinely use paths running thro' cow fields, without ever anything much ever happening
But cows really dislike dogs, and will actively, and aggressively deter them. Dog owners, be aware
“There’s no money in farming”
And they’ll probably start to outlaw dairy/ livestock farming and replace it with something more nutritious…
Cows are quite curious animals - they usually come over to see what's going on. Best thing is to stay calm, move slowly. Don't flap or shout - you will scare them + make the situation worse.
Couple of helpful vids here:
Hemp farming looks good, if you're not in the UK and controlled by strict regulations, and as always, huge costs for everything to do with farming it.
Back to the thread though, still think that dog walkers need to be more thoughtful in this, not sure how many instances there are where there is no other option other than walking your dog through fields with cattle, don't think i've ever gone near a field with cattle with our dog, more through planning than accident.
Maybe the govt pays farmers to grow hemp on the fields, designated to be fallow.
They don’t harvest the hemp, just let it wilt and fertilise the soil.
Hemp can grow nearly anywhere in the uk for pennies?
Not even a century ago, it was our main source for textiles.
We’re going to need a replacement for petrochemicals as our source of textiles.
And we require legislation to reflect the amount of dogs on our streets.
If the farmers were leading their cattle through our streets, cr())@&£ everywhere, there would be a raft of legislation, licketyspit.