Author Topic: Pigs,People & Public footpaths! (Read 7170 times)

BillyBerridge · « **on:** March 29, 2009, 07:37:22 pm »

Recently we have moved our stock to a bigger piece of land. The land itself is great nice pasture, free draining and well protected from the wind.

Only one problem PEOPLE! There is a public footpath in the ajecent field and people walk along our fence line. We always see people looking at the pigs which is fine, Until last night i went down to discover someone's waste veg from their dinner thowrn in with my porkers grr. Then today i was sat behind one of the arks giving one of my sows a scratch when i heard people, next thing i know theres a man lifting his 5 or 6 year old son in with the pigs!

Needless to say he was a bit shocked when i shot up with a disgruntled moan!

I have now made some signs with firm messages written on them!

Anybody else had irritating dealings with rambler's and such like?

BB

jameslindsay · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2009, 07:51:14 pm »

I keep my goats, ducks, geese, ponies and rabbits out the back of our small hotel. We have signs up advising people NOT to feed the animals and it makes no difference. I get so annoyed at peoples rudeness and once even caught a child (one that was old enough to know the difference) trying to hit the Pygmy goats through the fence with a stick. Luckily I caught him before any damage was caused and I let rip at his parents who were not impressed at me. I would have skelpt his ar*e until he learnt his lesson.

The Pygmy's are in their own enclosure with the gate in padlocked. One day while I was going in and out I returned to fins a family in playing with the goats. Now the Pygmy's are very friendly but faced with 5 strangers in their pen they were freaked out and of course when I asked the family to remove themselves they were seriously unhappy. People are stupid or just plain rude, your signs may not make any difference.

All in all I have to say that with so many visitors to the hotel we have no problems and the animals are treated very well, sadly there are always the odd idiots. Our animals are our pets and not an attraction to the hotel but we have to share them with the public who mostly love them too.

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:46:52 pm »

I put this down to the parents - and their parents too for that matter. My kids were NEVER allowed to interfere with any animals and had to ask owners before they could 'speak' to them. Today my grand-daughter(just turned 2) was holding one of Hester's hairs between her fingers and pulled it out - now Hester wasn't at all bothered but Sarah and I in unison told Katie off, and I leant over and held her hair. I said I'm going to pull your hair just like you have done to Hester. I didn't do it hard but she screwed up her face ready to cry. So I said, well now you know how Hester feels, now go and say sorry. She did and all was well. Just another life lesson she had to learn. Some other parents might just have laughed that off because the dog wasn't hurt (Hester's skin is like that of an elephant), but that wasn't the point. Today Katie learnt respect for my dog. This is what is lacking I think.

ballingall · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:45:26 pm »

People can be awful when there is public access near your land. When we had the nursery, it was considered a right of way. Which it was, until the M90 disected it in 1971. We even recieved a letter from the council confirming it was no longer a right of way. So how come in 1990 could we still not keep livestock in that field for people walking their dogs off the lead, for leaving rubbish, for cutting fences or lifting a padlocked gate off its hinges? The problem was that although we had the business there our house was 2 miles away, and we weren't there 24/7. We used our field to grow hay in, mainly because we could do nothing else with it.

I also know someone who has a cottage in the grounds of Stobo Castle. Its a beautiful setting. However, it also has lots of visitors. She has to have all her gates padlocked, it takes 10 minutes to get down her drive because of all the gates and locks. People will go in with her goats and scare them, feed them things that can be poinsonious, walk their dogs in amongst them. And her animals, aside from deserving respect in their own right, are actually her livelihood as well. She makes her own goats milk soap, and toiletries. http://www.carolmcmillansoaps.co.uk/index.aspx

Its just ridiculous that people think they have to be alllowed to do whatever they want these days.

Beth

sabrina · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2009, 09:47:53 am »

I have a Bed & Breakfast down the road from where I live. Summers were a nightmare with parents and kids climbing the fence to speak to the mares and foals. I put electric wire everywhere with isgns up to keep them out. a couple of the mares were very foal proud for a few weeks after first foaling and would attack anything that tried to get near their babies and I was worried that someone would sue me. As for giving them sweets etc nothing teaches a pony to nip faster than feeding a treat from the hand.

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2009, 10:08:01 am »

Suggest notices warning people that the pigs bite; the fence is electric and that this notice gives warning that in the case of death you refute any responsibility.

Or as at was it Longleat near the Lion compound: Warning trespassers will be eaten. This might make people stop and at least think.

xnbacon · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2009, 10:35:00 am »

Was contemplating getting something similar for my dog. It's amazing how many people seem to need to approach her even though she is barking at them and there is no need to go near her. Found an old-enough-to-know-better child doing it the other day when she was tied up outside the school the other day. I wouldn't have minded quite so much had the school not just had the Dogs Trust in to teach them how to behave around dogs!
Makes you wonder if you are not being irresponsible taking the dog there, however, as I say she was far enough from the exit for said child to have to go out of his way to approach her.
I guess its natural though that we all like to see animals, especially young ones, however my parents always told me not to go near mothers with babies. I guess this piece of advice has been lost in the mists of time, together with commonsense and respect for other's property.

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2009, 02:18:46 pm »

Just wondering whose responsibility it would have been had the child belonging to the father who lifted it over the fence into the pig pen been bitten, trampled or worse.

In a case in our area we know that the trespasser would not have had a leg to stand on

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php/topic,1544.0.html (last 4 posts)

carl · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2009, 03:58:03 pm »

That story about the old girl in the slippers, priceless.
having seen billy's plot I can see where the problem comes from. Perhaps a pile of manure along the footpath side of the fence might keep them back? like offa's dyke, but made of dung.
My pigs are a good 50 yards and four gates from the lane and I still find peoples veg peelings chucked in the enclosure. I leave my geese in the way now, they take no prisoners.

sausagesandcash · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:18:23 pm »

'Lands poisoned'...or 'Trespassers will be prosecuted', 'animals attack'.....or lol 'trespassers will be shot...(on the reverse)....with harmless balls of soft sponge'.

Pigtails · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2009, 08:16:16 pm »

In a nutshell yes!
Thank the good lord for "Insurance" and Public Liability
people, in general see "babe" rather than a large agricultural beast that has the potental to bite!