The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: onnyview on May 25, 2013, 09:18:01 pm
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How many times does this have to happen? :rant:
Phone call today from a lady who witnessed a dog attacking one of our yearlings. There is a footpath running through the field and signs on every gate that there is livestock grazing and to keep dogs on a lead. But some numpty still thinks he is the exception to the rule and can telepathically control his dog without a lead. Managed to Catch the poor girl and dose her up. Puncture wounds all over her face.
Owner said dog got away from him whilst he was walking. Never bothered leaving any details with the people who live next to the field and ran to help the ewe, owner never bothered asking who owned the sheep to ring and apologise. >:(
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Send them a bill and shoot the bloody thing when it comes back :rant:
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Just sat on my bench enjoying the sheep enjoying the evening sun - I love my sheep to bits but most friends think I'm mad - they just see food not personalities - they see dinner not the hauling of water and hay, the midnight walks at lambing - just totally oblivious to what goes on to looking after these great creatures
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Disgraceful - definitely send him the bill and tell him if he doesn't control his dog you will take matters further.
Brucklay - agree with you. I love just sitting and watching my sheep and love them to bits too. Most people I speak to do see them only as meat and believe they are stupid creatures that all look the same have no personalities and have no feelings. How wrong they are.
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I'd certainly report the incident to the police, so that it's on record.
People who don't take responsibility, and contact the farmer, make me so mad :rant:. Hopefully this eejit will now realise it's easier to leash the dog than deal with the consequences. ::)
Hope the ewe's ok. :-*
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Even when I'm sure my dogs are willing and obedient I put them on a leash around livestock for the livestock owner's peace of mind. Dogs aren't robots, even 'good' dogs may change their minds. I'm a big fan of dog-killing livestock, as well as farm surveillance. Getting cheaper and cheaper to keep your vulnerable farm areas under recorded watch. Dunno if you would do that in a rather public area, i.e. a farm so close to the neighbours that they can tell you what happened, but if you had signs up saying you were recording your animals, I doubt people'd take such chancy liberties.
What's with the lack of livestock guards, I wonder? Someone on this forum told me why they couldn't have donkeys, and didn't want to spend pasture on alpacas, but surely there's more options than that. Are Maremmas banned where you live? There must be better long term solutions than sitting on your porch with a gun or just waiting for the next dog attack, and the next...
Best wishes with your situation. Sounds like there's a need for some kind of innovation here.
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What's with the lack of livestock guards, I wonder?
Maremmas aren't illegal, no, but with small fields, multiple public rights of way, multiple roads... simply not a viable option. If I was still on the moorland farm, 1000 acres in a ring fence, just one road in and out and it doesn't go anywhere else, and just one seldom-used public footpath, then maybe - but not where I am now. There are tens of thousands of visitors every year to the Roman Wall site, two national trails, any number of cyclists...
Not to mention our stupid laws would no doubt mean that we would be sued by the owners of any dog attacked by our livestock guardians, however justifiably... ::) and the same would be true of any guardian tup, too, Steve.
My family used to have a very small factory in the Midlands, situated next to a railway line. Every Bank Holiday, hoodlums would get onto the railway tracks, jump across to the roof of the factory, break in, cause some damage and nick a computer or two. Every Bank Holiday, the thieves would be well away by the time the police arrived... Eventually the works manager put coils of barbed wire inside the skylights to prevent the thugs getting into the offices even if they got onto the roof and broke the glass. The factory's own insurance company told them to take the barbed wire out, since even though anyone who was injured by it would necessarily be in the throes of breaking and entering, apparently there was lots of case law where just such a criminal was able to successfully sue the owner of the premises for causing actual bodily harm. ::). Stark staring bonkers. (Shakes head in disbelief.)
So the chances are slim to nonexistant of being allowed to have any kind of livestock guarding creature that is actually allowed to protect your livestock by any means more than holding up a sign saying, "BOO! (please, if you don't mind)" - that is, after holding up a sign saying, "If you are of a nervous disposition or have a weak heart, please look away now." ::) ::) ::) ::)
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Ah, it must have been you I was talking to before. Sorry I missed your reply, if that is indeed the reply you're quoting? Didn't find the thread again and I don't get automatic updates for some reason...
So over-stoogy laws are your problem then. Don't you have clauses in the law giving you leeway if you've put up a warning sign or similar? We do over here, though the suing machine still works overtime. Cameras are a good threat and means of counterattack/defense. In Australia you're legally fairly protected if someone tries to rob you and your dog bites them, as long as you've got a warning sign up on the gate about the dog. Woe betides you if you don't. There's got to be some legal recourse for land and livestock owners where you are, surely?
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Could you attach a picture of the attacked sheep and it's wounds to your signs. Maybe it might make the odd idiot stop and think,
I hope your sheep recovers fully and soon. :fc: it doesn't happen again.
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not a cheap option, and maybe not practical if the path goes through the middle of your pastures, but you could fence the path so dogs/owners are confined to the path only; with lots of barb or a good electric fence to discourage the dogs?
just a thought
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Could you attach a picture of the attacked sheep and it's wounds to your signs. Maybe it might make the odd idiot stop and think,
That sounds like a good idea.
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In Australia you're legally fairly protected if someone tries to rob you and your dog bites them, as long as you've got a warning sign up on the gate about the dog. Woe betides you if you don't. There's got to be some legal recourse for land and livestock owners where you are, surely?
You'd think. But no.
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Sally is right on the money, again. :thumbsup: Hands are tied with what we can do. The whole thing just annoys me so much, the majority of dog owners are sensible and would not dream of letting their dogs off the lead, but they also think that dog attacks are rare. Unfortunately, they are wrong.
I am just glad we had not moved our ewes and lambs there yet. The yearling ewe got away with so little damage because she is such a Woolley monster still.
Allison -returning to her sickbed....I hate summer colds.
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It is a sod - this business with dogs, especially if the land is away from home. We have a similar problem - public road running through the land. We get a phone call from the guy next door to the land, and by the time we get there with the gun, the dog is back on a lead and the owners are walking nonchalantly down the road - where they have every right to be >:(
Get the people who live adjacent to get photos - everyone's mobile has a camera on it and try to keep the dog owners talking until you get there!
It is an absolute pain in the neck. Also report to the NSA - they are putting together a log of dog attacks on sheep to try to get an idea of the true scale of the problem and are putting pressure on police forces to take more notice of this sort of thing.
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I am not a violent man but when people feel that it's ok for their dog or dogs to chase my loved sheep whom I spend hours looking after them and my kids and grand kids share the same feelings for them as I have , the worst comes out in me And my first actions are to worry the owners of the dogs I am absolutely sick of these ignorant selfish idiots that allow there dogs to worry sheep . I don't even try to explain to them what dogs can do to lambs or pregnant ewes they all know it is wrong to allow it to happen so I feel justified in my actions towards them ( owners ) sorry if this message is a bit garbled but it makes my blood boil
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In this area (Dorset) the dog warden is on the ball and very helpful. It might help that she is from a sheep- farming family and trains collies ;) . All attacks need to be recorded to build up the evidence that a dog is out of control.
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There's been a problem near me recently, Alot about it in the local papers with photos of the mauled lamb and lots of detail about the injuries.
Can you get the papers involved?
I've not had many people walking the footpath through my field since I got geese. ;D Soon it will be time for my neighbours bull to be turned out.
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My landlord has solved any dogwalker problems I might have by turning some 40 sim cows with calves at foot onto the downs with the sheep for their summer grazing. ;)
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Thanks for all the support and suggestions guys, I really do appreciate it. :hug: :hug:
The papers are being involved and more signs will be put up too. Lots of people walk their dogs along the footpaths, so I will keep you posted how we get on.
Allison