[pgkevet]

..large white and woolly!

There's a field over the stream accessed via a track on my land that is owned by a  chap who lives somewhere over the hill (and I've lost his number). He keeps sheep on it and we've always been friendly enough. 5 of his flock have found ways through his tatty fencing then they wade up the stream and onto my land. His fencing is rank.. the posts are like Delft lace and the wire sags everywhere. He admits that fence is over 30yrs old.  For me to fence my side would take 100yds fence and 2 field gates (both a  tatty bridge and a ford) and lots of strainers for the angles.

For the last 5-6 weeks this group of sheep have been coming over and mostly grazing by the stream. He only checks his flock every week and every week I've been asking him to sort it. Last week his sheep found my veggie patch and apple trees and I had another winge at him - he said he'd move those few sheep 'cos he couldn't find where they were getting through. He didn't. And now all this week I've had those 5 sheep coming back and back into the veggie patch.

Even my dalmatain has given up chasing them - totally useless dog.

I get up early anyway but those darned sheep are in the patch before dawn and I'm out there chasing them of in my jim-jams and wellies... which wouldn't be too bad if I wore jim-jams .

Now the worst of it is that those blasted sheep just stand there and laugh at me - totally insolent.

I know why i grew so much.. they've eaten the tops off 30 metres of carrots and the same of parsnips, several red cabbage, half a dozen psb, a few cauliflower, the greyhound cabbage and some of the savoy and only one curly kale.

I've got plenty left but that's not the point.. the point is the amount of time and pain crawling around planting and weeding.

I suppose the other point is why do folk grow kale for sheep? Their favourite was parsnip tops and then psb.

Mr neighbour is going to get a rocket up his bum tomorrow

Whinge over.

[Mammyshaz]

I'd be annoyed at that too. Escapees once or twice fair enough but knowing it is a constant problem and not doing anything is neglect. 
  here's a candle to light that rocket   

[chrismahon]

Needs a rocket with the bill for lost veg attached to it. He'll soon get the fence fixed.

[Backinwellies]

Needs a rocket with the bill for lost veg attached to it. He'll soon get the fence fixed.

I second this .... bill him ....

[Lesley Silvester]

Needs a rocket with the bill for lost veg attached to it. He'll soon get the fence fixed.

Just what I was going to say. He should be paying for the damage his animals cause.

[Anke]

If this is an ongoing problem - have you any chance of putting an electric fence in (like they use for horses, the white tape?) Or know of anyone you can borrow one for a while?

[pgkevet]

It took the guy 8 days to come back and shift the 5 sheep causing trouble. I had polite but firm words with him (don't want to fall out with neighbours).

By that time despite my 6am sheep chasing and 2-4 times a day catching them and shooing them away they had eaten the tops off 2 x 20m rows of parsnips (leaving just leaf ribs) and the same with 2 rows carrots.. had most of the leaves off the brussles and munched large amounts of other brassicas.

Reality is I still have plenty left and the root veg is still under there - had got plenty big enough but might have got even bigger.

they'd also taken the leaves off the low branches of 2 of my espalier apples I'm training and the leaves off one of my grapevines - which will knock those back by a year.

His comment of 'I'm very sorry, what more can i say.' was answered with 'Well you can say I'll pay for the damage' And suggested £40. 

Actually getting any money  - I won't old my breath. Welsh farmers only part with cash when there's rugger tickets of beer about

I knew he was going to turn up that day 'cos I'd started rehanging field gates I don't normally use to be able to herd the peskies into a secure field of my own and levelling the ground so the gates could close.

[Fleecewife]

Our veg area is fenced to keep our own livestock out, plus any deer and rabbits that decide to visit.  Any chance of fencing your patch, rather than relying on him to mend the march fence?

He is possibly in breach of movement restrictions by repeatedly allowing his animals to stray, as well as common courtesy.  Legally he has to check his animals every day.

[Backinwellies]

If that £40 doesn't arrive within 2 weeks ........... Post him the £40 invoice ... recorded delivery... so he cant say he didn't get it    He has to know you mean it or it won't matter if they roam again. 

 And yes daily inspection is expected ... though not likely to be legally enforced unless sheep are suffering.  ...

[pgkevet]

Fencing the veggie patch isn't an option i want since I use the tractor to plough to plough my two patches alternately and will add a PTO rotorvator to the tools soon. I could fence the remaining part of that field but it would take 70-100m fencing and two field gates and several straining posts due to the shape of the bit that would need fencing. It's his fence on the other side of the stream that is falling apart.

As for posting invoices.. well that only works if one is prepared to go on to small claims courts. And it isn't actually about the money.

I do have his home phone number now should there be any more problems.

[Bramblecot]

Maybe you'll get a freezer full of lamb soon , the meat should be lovely .  It's probably cheaper to corral off a corner for them than to replace your apple trees.

[Lesley Silvester]

Maybe you'll get a freezer full of lamb soon , the meat should be lovely . 

That thought did occur to me. If he doesn't check on them regularly, would he notice if one went missing? 

[devonlady]

Maybe you'll get a freezer full of lamb soon , the meat should be lovely . 

That thought did occur to me. If he doesn't check on them regularly, would he notice if one went missing? 

MGM....shame on you

[pgkevet]

That thought did occur to me. If he doesn't check on them regularly, would he notice if one went missing? 

When the second stray unmarked sheep made it to 'sanctuary field' he was one of the guys we told and asked to check if it was his. It was more than 9mths before he finally suggested he go check on it by which time we'd had it castrated and tagged and wife told him 'too late it's ours now'. I don't think it was his anyway but it's one huge tubby sheep now.

It's one reason we sourced some cades to try and get a tamer flock - which is working. We have a total of 6 sheep and more is no good to me. Wife is vegan and these sheep are all pets with arrangements already made should they outlive us. They have to 'rough it' in a 10 acre field with lots of fence-line shrubbery, access to the stream, a purpose built field shelter and twice daily treats and petting. If you could housetrain sheep they'd be sharing the sofas with the dogs. More sheep not good.

We do have the rule now that if any unmarked sheep makes it to sanctuary field it can stay. One of his did make it 3 mths ago but was labelled and he got it back - but it took him a few weeks to bother with the warning ' this week or we keep it'