Stray Sheep advice

[greenroof]

There have been stray sheep on one of my fields since end of March/April, that come from a nearby field that is rented out. The owner of the field has been informed several times but doesn't want to know. The sheep were collected to be sheared and returned the same day. There are up to 8 of them. I want to let the grass grow for winter grazing, and there are currently no horses on the field.
How do I get rid of them without opening my gates and letting them go on the road? Won't do this but am sorely tempted. Can I charge them for the 4 months grazing they have had already? Can I legally give them away? I am at my wits end. Thanks for your help.

 

[jrp204]

I appreciate you shouldn't have to do it but I would make your field more secure to stop them getting in. You could try sending a letter to the owner telling him from a certain date you will be charging say £10/day for grazing,

 

[Geegeesarah]

I had the same problem. Speak to the letting agent of the land and inform them of the problem. Mine was sorted on a week. Good luck

 

[lazybee]

Mint sauce?

 

[greenroof]

Thanks for your replies. Where the sheep get out doesn't adjoin our land and to fence our field to make it sheep proof would cost several thousand pounds so is not an option.
There is no letting agent, the owner of the land has one small field with not much grass which is why the sheep get out and come to us. I don't really want to charge them for grazing because then they have a right to be there, they might put all the rest on and I don't want any of them! I don't expect they would pay anyway, the owners of the sheep are well known for letting their sheep wander. Please keep suggestions coming.

 

[jrp204]

If the sheep have been sheared a couple of strands of electric wire would probably do it and wouldnt cost much?

 

[BabyA]

You could contact your local animal health officer as sheep should only be on land with a holding number which I'm assuming you don't have but your neighbour most definitely should have. The going rate of sheep grazing is 50p per sheep per week.But like I've said you must have a holding number to keep sheep on your land.

 

[greenroof]

You could contact your local animal health officer as sheep should only be on land with a holding number which I'm assuming you don't have but your neighbour most definitely should have. The going rate of sheep grazing is 50p per sheep per week.But like I've said you must have a holding number to keep sheep on your land.

Thank you, I will try this.

 

[Archangel]

A sign
"Free sheep - help yourselves"

Seriously, a couple of strands of electric should do the trick or some of that electric mesh.

Shepherds can be a nightmare, we had one round here and his sheep were always on the road. We called him Blot (as in Blot on the Landscape).

 

[Choccie]

If you contact your local trading standards they deal with sheep movement licences now and technically they have 'moved' premises without a licence which is an offence and attracts a nice fine if the 'keeper' of the sheep repeatedly contravenes.

 

[WelshD]

We had this happen and although we have sheep ourselves it became maddening with us losing some of our winter grass. As our field was resting I contacted the sheep owners and said that I needed to bring my car on to the field and also had a teenage helper (lie!) and so couldn't guarantee that the gate will always be closed and I'd hate their sheep to get out. Within a couple of days an electric fence appeared

 

[Surreydeb]

Definitely contact local animal health officers they should not be 'moved' without the necessary paperwork. All will be eartagged with owners flock details or otherwise electronically marked and if not another offence has been committed. Animal health will take this very seriously and there are substantial fines for non compliance.

 

[meesha]

Take your gate off its hinges and literally whilst you are doing it contact the person whose sheep are on your land to say your gate has been taken off its hinges (prob by kids) and that his sheep are still in your field but you cant gaurantee for how long as there is no gate and you cant put it back on as x is missing (bolt of whatever).

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

I used to b an animal health officer for TS so I would definitely do this. Take the sheep's ear tag numbers too if they have any. X

 

[AmyMay]

Contact the owner of the sheep by recorded letter, and also pin a note to their gate. Give them 7 days to remove the sheep or inform them you will be taking them to market.

I would also look at fencing your fields more appropriately - if the sheep can get in, your horses can get out.

 

[Dry Rot]

If you contact your local trading standards they deal with sheep movement licences now and technically they have 'moved' premises without a licence which is an offence and attracts a nice fine if the 'keeper' of the sheep repeatedly contravenes.

Sadly, I doubt if TS will accept that argument! I had a similar problem here, did what C suggested and was told straying is not a "movement" as a movement requires human involvement to drive them! Yes, I know, it's crazy.

I think in theory, you can impound the strays and demand reasonable compensation for damage, but catching them might be a problem. Recovering compensation without doing so will be impossible.

Of course, the owner will do nothing as he's getting free grazing. My neighbour was notorious for allowing stock to stray until a motorcyclist got killed.

However, I did write to his solicitors about the problem and got a reply stating blatantly that I was a liar! I replied that I'd had a visit from two animal health officers from DEFRA (on another matter) who had witnessed the event, that shook him! The fence was repaired!

The police actually advised me to open a gate and allow them to stray onto the road, then to report it as a violation of the Roads Traffic Acts.

In the end, as they were hill sheep it seemed they'd be happier in their natural environment and they disappeared.

 

[greenroof]

Contact the owner of the sheep by recorded letter, and also pin a note to their gate. Give them 7 days to remove the sheep or inform them you will be taking them to market.


I would also look at fencing your fields more appropriately - if the sheep can get in, your horses can get out.

I don't know who owns the sheep, only who owns the land where they are coming from.

My horses have never got out in the forty years we have been here, they are a lot bigger than sheep and require different fencing. Respectfully, it is not my responsibility to fence other people's stock out of my land. They are getting out of their field and coming through woodland onto my land.

 

[AmyMay]

Respectfully, it is not my responsibility to fence other people's stock out of my land

No it's not. But it would make your life a whole lot easier.

 

[greenroof]

No it's not. But it would make your life a whole lot easier.

So would a new stable block, a manege, and a groom, but I can't afford any of those, either

seriously, thank you for your replies, I have emailed the local animal health office and will see what happens now!

 

[L&M]

We had the same with the nieghbouring farmers sheep breaking into our winter grazing. He kindly up some metal electric fencing, 3 strands, and that kept them out for a while.

However a small group still just pushed through, and I was chasing them back out on a daily basis, which drove me up the wall!! In the end I attached stock fencing onto the back off our post and rail instead, which did the trick. We had to attach 220 metres worth of wire but shopped around and wasn't as expensive as aniticpated, and sleep easier at night knowing that my grazing is still in tact!

As my neighbour takes away our horse manure in the winter I felt that for the sake of 'goodwill' it was of benefit to invest in additional fencing.

 

[JumpingJacks]

I have had a problem similar to this that I faced last night. Got up to my field to find next doors sheep chewing through my brand new electric fence energiser. Now where do I stand with that one. They have chewed straight through it. Do the sheep owner to pay for a new one as wires cant be replaced.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

as wires cant be replaced.

Really? If so that's a badly designed energiser. I've had to replace the wires on mine that were... you've guessed it - eaten by sheep. *bleddy things*

 

[JumpingJacks]

It the power cable the have chewed FaraCat that connects to the battery and I don't see a way of changing that?

 

[CarolineJ]

Is it a Rutland? Spares available here:

http://www.rutland-electric-fencing.co.uk/PageProductList.aspx?SelectedTab=TopTab_3_2_4

or from most agricultural merchants. We had to change the cable from energiser to battery on ours after rabbits chewed through it.