Bullocks + Footpaths?

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chunklovescooks

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What are the laws on keeping bullocks/bulls on footpaths? went on a walk today, and there was loads of bullocks in a field the footpath crosses, didnt cause us any harm, but they had rather un-friendly horns.. and we met the farmer while navigating the footpath gates (one of which he had covered with barbed wire) the reason behind this is because when his bull (the heffa as he called it) has s3x on his mind, he will jump the gates) i thought this would be a little dangerous to keep on a footpath?
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We also met some rather giddy horses on our walk (silly little children decided to wave their walking sticks around near them)
 
only with heifers and calves, not on thier own......something to do with them being less aggressive when in with "family"
And yes only beef bulls.
Was there not an article in this weeks H&H?
 
Sorry yes should have added that bit!! Re: cows/heifers.

A bull of up to ten months old, yes. Bulls over ten months of a recognized dairy breed (Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry) are banned from fields crossed by public paths under all circumstances. All other bulls over ten months are banned unless accompanied by cows or heifers. If any bulls act in a way which endangers the public, an offence may be committed under health and safety legislation.
 
As we have a dairy farm and a footpath that extends the 230 acres of the farm, it would be impossible to ever utilise our land if we weren't allowed to put the stock in a field where the footpath runs.

We only keep an Aberdeen Angus bull out with our maiden heifers during Summer and Autumn. Our Holstein bull never ventures from the farm yard as they are less predictable. I believe they can graze out freely in fields that do not have a footpath running through them.....although most farmers choose to only allow beef bulls to graze out.

As you can see from my picture, our bull (and indeed most beef bulls are the same) is quite friendly around people, and even dogs. Bullocks especially, being castrated bulls, tend to be quite gentle natured anyway as they are usually castrated very early on, ours certainly are.

This is "billy" our Angus bull.

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Like all cattle, they are incredibly inquisitive and will often approach walkers especially if they are with a dog. You need to bear in mind that any stock out in fields at this time of year will probably associate someone approaching with feed time and make a beeline for you. Ours are all in now for the winter now as they were "dropping off", condition wise.

As far as I am aware, it is not an offence to have bullocks, dairy cows, heifers or a beef bull in a field with a footpath running through it. If you are wary, don't enter the field.

Put it this way, I'd rather enter a field full of strange bullocks than enter our nursery field with heifers and cows that have just calved and are protecting their babies. During spring and summer when we are grazing our nursery field, we do put a sign up warning people that the cows are due to calve or have recently calved and politely request they refrain from walking through that particular field.
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I've been chased out of a field by bullocks, they were very scary! They were very lively, they run straight at us (about thirty of them) even though we were at the furthest end of the field and we had to back up the entire field while they took turns to run at us. I've had horses all my life but I have never seen such bolshy animals! Unfortunately that is the only bridleway round here, but with such a 'welcome' on foot, riding past would be suicide. Unfortunately the local farmer seems to use this as a way of discouraging people from using the bridleway (I did phone the right of access officer and he was no help at all, didn't really want to know).
 
It is the same at our yard, to go on most of the hacks, we have to go through a field, and as i have only been there 4 months, i do not know, but apparently the farmer of the field puts (baby bulls?) in the field and they chase you :P not good as on either side of the gate there is a ditch. whats the best thing to do when you get chased my livestock on a field?
 
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I used to ride past ones like this (Highland) -
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They never caused me any problems.

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That's what we have by our field, proper looking piece of kit them!
 
I used to ride at (shouting 'hup' cowboy stylely!!!) any that didn't move away. Have never been chased, but guess turn to face as they are probably inquisitive rather than agressive.
 
My pony for a couple of years actually shared a huge field with Highland cattle (horns and all).

Initially he shared with another horse and 4 bullocks until the other horse who was a youngster chased the bullocks out of the field over the 5 bar gate.

When the other horses owner took him without any warning my horse was very unhappy and so the farmer put 3 heiffers in with him. These girls were lovely, 2 very friendly and would stand for a scratch one a little more timid. The heiffers thought my boy was their leader and would wait for him to be turned out in the morning and call to him when he went back to the stable at night.

I had concerns that my horse could get gorged by those horns but the horses always ended up being the boss.
 
I appreciate what you mean and I used to keep my horse at a yard with nice cattle which did back off when you waved at them, but these bullocks that chased us really meant business and would not back off at all. It was really very scary and I would consider myself to be confident round animals.
 
I was on a TROT ride in the summer when we were chased by young cows. They charged us and then ran off so we thought they would leave us. We were halfway across the field when they turned on us and came straight for us. Two of us dismounted and shouted and waved our arms and whips at them. The cows kept coming at us, split us up away from each other and wouldn't leave us. My horse and a lady who stayed mounted are only young and the other is very unpredictable and i have to say its the most scared i've been around horses and cows in my life! Not what you expect to find on a TROT ride that is especially for horses.
 
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