Cows on walking routes!

[SquashedFlyBiscuit]

Can anyone advise me about staying safe when walking through cows?

There is land near me we like to walk on (National Trust but not a "property" and not busy) that often had cows on it, but today they were in the main bit between us and the car. Also there is a council owned area we like to walk in that has zones the cattle graze in - these are usually nowhere near us but occasionally theres a couple of cows on the path.

Some of them have horns which scars me, alhough google has just reassured me its not so much the horns ti be scared of as the trampling to death....

I know cattle attacks are rare, and usually towards people with dogs. Hoeever where we walk often has lots of dog walkers.

I've become far more anxious this year and now want to know what I ought to do if walking through a field with kids and cows are walking over to see us. Or how to walk through a field with cows in it safely....

Walk elsewhere isn't really an option. They're on a lot of the coastal routes and like I say local council use them and the NT on the land - maybe its not quite like that elsewhere! Lots of routes have them at some point.(google National Trust and cattle for some locations. I won't say our local one but councils often do etc.) Its a fact of life if you're a walker either in my immediate area or rhe NT/coastal places locally.

I was more wondering about cow-safety really.

I knew not to run and stick together as a group.
But wasn't sure whether to make noise if they get antsy or try and stay calm . Or sing as suggested!

Ive had cows follow us before - that is quite unnerving. Is that what many people mean when they say they were chased by cows- or full on ran from them? Ive never done that or heard of anyone who has locally but it is ecactly that that scares me. And my children are ahorter (9+ so not small!)

I think the key thing is we dont have a dog so dont antagonise them, also we wouldn't be trying to go near calves anyway!

It's similar to the roaming ponies in the New Forest. You expect to see them, can't avoid them but wouldn't go up and pet them!

The NT path that I was referring to is actually a mountain and has several trails around/up said mountain. Some of the paths are literally in touching reach of the cows (who have free roam) There was a NT sign up saying that it was fine as long as you didn't get between a mother and it's calf, and to keep dogs on a short leash. The ones that charged at us clearly didn't read that memo

Haven’t rtwt but avoid walking in fields with cows and calves.

Or packs of inquisitive youngsters.

If you have a dog ideally let it off its lead as you’re walking through.

I worked with cows enough to give me a healthy respect of how dangerous they can be!

You don’t have to be rural to have to negotiate cows on a walk. Newcastle town moor is just outside the city centre and is full of cues, people and cyclists generally. The cows seem to be pretty used to all the people though.

When I say chased I mean having the whole herd running after me full pelt! I never deliberately go anywhere near cows but where I live they are free to roam on the moor and some of the fields that public footpaths go through are really big and hilly and you can't always see from the gate that they are in there, they like to pop out from nowhere every now and then to surprise you!

Paininthe poinsetta that sounds terrifying!!!

Like you I had no idea about dusk (and had been walking early morning locally to avoid people but bit later than dawn.)

The NT don't put that on their signs!!! Its mainly hedgerows and brambles here I think or expanse of non walkable heath (kneee high but prickly stuff away from the paths - impossible to run on.)so dont fancy being impaled on a hedgerow.

I remember dairy cows as a kid so these big things with horns just seem scarier.

Pickly that sounds exactly what I want to avoid! I cant inagine the 4 of us running anwhere fast in a large expanse.

What you and Sporadic describe is like herr- theyre just on normal routes, its not a case of gokng into a farmer's field. They just appear...

I understand that some councils and the National Trust use cattle as part of their land management programmes. My local council grazes longhorn cattle on a particular site that is popular with walkers. They went to great pains to promote that they were placid and not a threat if left alone. They are huge with the most enormous, twisted horns. And yes, they are as calm as anything - thank goodness!

Perhaps email your local NT to enquire. They should have information if it is part of a land management programme and maybe able to reassure you.

However, some NT land is leased to farmers who will be farming other breed for commercial purposes which may be more temperamental and flighty.

I do a lot of walking and my rule of thumb is if in doubt, find another route or stick to a hedge line so you have some protection. Young cows and bullocks tend to be curious and over excited, never get between a cow and a calf and be very careful if you have a dog with you.

I never used to fear cows, but after a few near misses and noticing that cattle seem to be more highly strung as time goes on, I am always very cautious.

I’m really confused that pinky reckons you should let a dog off its lead in a cow field. Please never do this. It can scare the cows and one farmer I met by the cambridge cows says the fear caused can really damage the cows, let alone anyone else.

@Fenlandmountainrescue I think it's more if the dog is being chased them to let it run off as it can get to safely much more easily than you can. The Nation Farmers Union actually says
Don’t hang onto your dog. If you are threatened by cattle - let it go as to allow the dog to run to safety

www.nfuonline.com/cross-sector/rural-affairs/access/access-news/livestock-and-rights-of-way-reducing-the-risk/

I still have the scar from sticking with my dog when I was a kid and ending up climbing through a barbed wire fence.. should have just let him run off alone he'd have been fine!

*then to let it run off

As a cow owner, the thing that makes me think you should avoid walking near the cows is that you are scared of them.

They will pick up on this.

It's up to you of course, but in your position I wouldn't do it, especially with my children as that probably heightens your anxiety too.

Be sensible and cautious and have a healthy respect for the cattle and you should be fine but I am aware that DH (city kid) just doesn't pick up on signs that are obvious to my family (farmers). If an animal is on it's own in a field (or with its calf) then avoid avoid avoid.

Squashed it was really frightening at the time. It was so lucky that I didn't have ds in the buggy, as I wouldn't have been able to drag it off the path in time. That mountain is very busy with walkers, I think we just got in between two herds that were heading home, so it was just a case of wrong place at the wrong time.

The National Trust areas have signs telling you to let the dog go if in trouble - I can't remember who said that was a bad idea.

Also, no one keeps a herd of bulls.

Can I revive this thread briefly to ask a question? I've recently started to live close to a farm with a big dairy herd, and noticed that, as well as the usual numbered ear tags, each cow is marked with a patch of either red or blue paint just above the root of the tail, maybe roughly 50/50 between the two colours in the herd as a whole. What might this be for?

I'm not sure but it could be something to do with Artificial insemination? So some cows have had one batch/semen breed and the others a different one? Or half were done one week and half another time?

That would be my guess. Or maybe half are pregnant and the others aren't yet?

Hopefully someone who knows for sure will come soon.

Isn’t it a marker of which cows have been served by which bull?

That's sheep, Cherry. Dairy farmers don't keep bulls, the AI man comes with his big glove. And all the records of which cow has had which bull's semen are meticulously kept on computer.

My DH's friend's ex-wife was trampled by a herd and almost killed. She was walking her dog in their field. She was very fortunate someone found the dog and then her or she would have died.

@limpetlike it's to show if some are on antibiotics or other meds - so milk is not sold for consumption.

Real mixed response from this thread!

Probably because there are so many variations in types of cattle and locations. You have to do your own risk assessment.

We do a lot of country walking, but have learned to not plan a route without alternatives, or be willing to turn around, if we meet cattle we're not sure about.

At the moment we're not doing the full extent of a favourite walk because there is a series of fields with young steers in them. They're at the inquisitive age ... teenage boy cows, I suppose. There are gateways where they are liable to cluster, a small river with a rather steep bank on one side and no escape route on the other side either.

But in other places we'll walk through a field of cows without too much worry, or not be bothered by a few belties trundling around maintaining rough pasture.

While on a checkpoint for a DoE expedition I got a number of panicked calls from various groups scared of the cattle along the path they had to follow. I shooed the cows away each time (country girl) and explained to the kids that a gang of them walking through chatting (and probably with their music blaring) was the most exciting thing to happen in the field all week so of course the cows had wandered over to have a look. My cow shooing must have been pretty impressive because by the time I got back to camp one of the other teachers came over and told me 'I hear you punched a cow!'.

@SquashedFlyBiscuit The town moor has gates (all over the places) and signs saying that cattle graze the moor. Plus they're a well known feature, so you would be expecting to come across them. (Also, they're huge so you can see if they're on the bit you want to walk across before you start walking).

You do see people being total arseholes to the cows though. Yesterday, we saw a man pushing and kicking an inquisitive cow that came near his off-the-lead dog. Because obviously it was the cow that was the problem and not him or his dog. That guy probably deserves to be trampled by cows really.