Author Topic: Hedge trimming! (Read 4442 times)

ScotsGirl · « **on:** August 07, 2015, 09:38:34 pm »

anyone any idea where I stand if my neighbour complains the goats are eating his hedge?! Up to now they haven't bothered too much apart from odd nibble but tonight they have gone mad and are chomping through it.

He did put electric along when my horse looked at it but think it must be switched off. I will try and put a battery on it tomorrow but he is a nasty piece of work sometimes.

Dogwalker · « **Reply #1 on:** August 07, 2015, 10:26:00 pm »

Not sure of the legalities but I'd have thought you're responsible for stopping them damaging someone else's hedge.

Having said that mine eat the field hedges which are part mine and parts three different neighbours. No-ones complained yet.

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #2 on:** August 07, 2015, 11:00:26 pm »

My livestock was there before the hedge. He planted it to block his view of my field! Suppose he should be happy it's saving him the cost of getting it cut!

devonlady · « **Reply #3 on:** August 08, 2015, 07:53:21 am »

What a dilemma! I've been sat here thinking but can't come up with any suggestion except the one you already have. Having had a very nasty neighbour though you have my every sympathy.

honeyend · « **Reply #4 on:** August 08, 2015, 12:03:57 pm »

I had a neighbour that moaned at me about my goat eating the hedge, after making a fuss he then realised it was my hedge.
It depends where it is on the boundary, if he has planted on the boundary and the growth is hanging over your land you are within your rights to trim it, the trimmings do belong to them. If its inside their boundary you should have fence between you. I would put some wire fence on the boundary and let them eat what come through on to your side.
I have a 15ft hedge along the boundary between our neighbours which I want to reduce to a third, I know she will have a fit, but its on my land, the sheep have already cleaned out the bottom.

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #5 on:** August 08, 2015, 01:27:18 pm »

I bought the land from him on the basis I gave him access to his acre so he can get in his back garden with his vehicles etc. Technically he is breaking the law as it is agricultural land and technically he should only be crossing it for those purposes.

Anyway, he put horse fencing up 4' high and chicken net on the boundary. He then went on to plant a hedge his side of his fence. I don't see why I should lose a metre of my field just to protect his hedge he planted right next to the fence. I've put electric on the Hotwire he added which hopefully will deter the extra trimming. It's only the dairy goats that are being a menace, my boers are so much better behaved!

YoungRasher · « **Reply #6 on:** August 08, 2015, 02:43:20 pm »

if i'm getting this right, your goats are only eating what is sticking out through the fence. there is no problem with them eating anything that sticks out onto your property. as long as the 4' high fence stops them eating it on his side then he can't really say anything.

devonlady · « **Reply #7 on:** August 08, 2015, 04:11:37 pm »

And if you have to return the trimmings to him throw over a bucket of droppings! Is his right of way on the deeds to the land or was it just an understanding between you?

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2015, 04:49:52 pm »

Unfortunately as he was calling the shots it is in the deeds along with a list of does and donts! I don't mind that except when he objects to my ponies being in the field or billy goat being out there, granted he is big and too friendly for his own good!

My two milkers stand on the fence so the can reach over. Thankfully at the moment they haven't gone all the way through and it is about 8-10' high. I need to Train them to work evenly along the fence !

Dogwalker · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2015, 12:22:41 pm »

Unfortunately they are just doing what is natural to them. Once they've eaten all the leaves they can reach they'll start pulling the bark off the branches and kill them.
You'll probably end up having to keep them off it with electric all the time or put up with neighbour agro.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #10 on:** August 14, 2015, 02:20:56 pm »

You shouldn't have to lose any land for this. trim back any branches the goats haven't, right to the fence so the wire doesn't catch on anything, put the elecric fence right up to the netting, they should respect it enough not to climb on the fence, they might do a little upright dance trying to reach if there is any higher overhang, but that gives them shelter anyway, which would probably annoy him :-).
I use one strand round the inside of my stock fence, they will carefully graze almost underneath it but never reach over.