Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: stuck stirk  (Read 2184 times)

bigchicken

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Fife Scotland
stuck stirk
« on: May 24, 2013, 11:16:53 pm »
A couple of my daughter's pals came to my door asking me for help a Holstein stirk was stuck in a soft boggy part of the farmers field. I went along with a piece of rope to see what I could do, managed to get it out after a struggle and on to its feet a bit wobbly to start with but walked slowly and seemed ok. My point is should I tell the farmer who I know slightly about what happened, he must know about the danger to his animals.
Shetland sheep, Castlemilk Moorits sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey Bantams, Scots Dumpy Bantams. Shetland Ducks.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: stuck stirk
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2013, 02:45:00 am »
Why would you not tell the farmer?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

bigchicken

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Fife Scotland
Re: stuck stirk
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2013, 06:38:17 am »
The farmer has stirks in this field every year and must know the danger to his animals so what good would it do telling him something he already knows about and has done nothing about over many years. I would like to tell him about my concerns for the safety of his animals and that he should do something about it, I think he would just ignore me and that would anger me and I would have to go to animal health or SSPCA and I don't want to get that involved.
Shetland sheep, Castlemilk Moorits sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey Bantams, Scots Dumpy Bantams. Shetland Ducks.

Ina

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • South Aberdeenshire
Re: stuck stirk
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2013, 08:49:08 am »
Could the parents of your daughter's pals tell him? Might be easier all round if a stranger did it (always assuming they don't know him personally).

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: stuck stirk
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2013, 10:29:45 am »
Oh, ok.  Well, if your attitude to the farmer is going to be telling him how to do his job then yes, probably better to say nothing. 

However, I doubt he knowingly keeps valuable stock in a field where they are likely to come to harm - perhaps there's a field drain has bust under there, making it wetter and more dangerous than it would usually be.  He probably does know he's got a bust drain, and probably has a plan as to when he'll fix it, but perhaps doesn't realise it has become boggy enough to be dangerous to the stirks.  He'll see the mud on the legs and body of the one you pulled out, and will assume the stirk has been in the wet patch but has got out ok.  So, if it were me, I would, without judgement and with humility, mention to him that the stirk had been stuck and that you and the neighbours got ropes on it to it to help it out.

By the way, did either your neighbours or yourself contact the farmer at the time to see if he wanted to come and help his own beast?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

bigchicken

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Fife Scotland
Re: stuck stirk
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2013, 08:18:21 pm »
Not trying to tell the farmer how to do his job, just not the way I would have things. While passing today the farmer was setting up to dose the beasts and I told him what had happened, he thanked me and said that this part of the field was always wet leakage from the loch and nothing he could do about it and the stirk was missing. It's a very rough field with rushes and whines so it is difficult to see. As far as I,m concerned I would try to help any animal in difficulty as this is part of my caring nature  I would like to think that if any of my animals got into trouble that someone would help but maybe this is an old fashion idea what with the way people think now a days. An old saying it's nice to be nice.
Shetland sheep, Castlemilk Moorits sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey Bantams, Scots Dumpy Bantams. Shetland Ducks.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: stuck stirk
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2013, 11:52:02 pm »
I'm glad you told him, and I'm glad he thanked you.  I'm like you, I wouldn't leave any animal in distress if I could help and had reason to think that no-one else would or could.   :-*
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS