Any cattle farmers on here?

[FFSBringbackLangCleg]

Four bullocks have been turned out in a field near me since Tuesday afternoon. The field has no water supply. Normally when stock are in there a water bowser is provided. This time, nothing.

How long is it OK for them to manage with just wet grass? I’m prepared to be told I’m unreasonable to worry, but I only know about horses, and Google isn’t much help.

Thank you.

@SengaMac

How's it going, OP? Now that it's more than 48 hours.

The whole thing is a load of bullocks

the whole thing is a load of bullocks
😂

@FOJN

why would it not be ok for the OP to put a bucket of water in the field?

A bucket of water wouldn't be anything like enough. Most cattle drinking troughs automatically fill and are controlled by a ball valve. Cattle drink gallons of water.

Oh that's ok then. I knew they'd drink a lot, but figured a bucket could at least give them a drink I was worried that tap water was poisonous for cattle or something

Cows drink a lot of water.

Any update OP?

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Derxa Genuine question - why would it not be ok for the OP to put a bucket of water in the field?

Also the RSPCA and sspca up here in Scotland would say well they have water best advice is not to feed or water or they won't help sad but true

Do they have water now op?

Well spotted OP. All livestock need a continuous supply of clean, fresh water.

It's a strange time of year to be turning cattle out into a new field (as opposed to in for the winter, but I'm in the cold north) so I'm wondering whether they're waiting to be taken for slaughter... sad.

Call APHA. Cattle movements are strictly recorded. If the farm is in a TB area or subject to movement restrictions, the farmer is in breach.

Cattle movements are strictly recorded. If the farm is in a TB area or subject to movement restrictions, the farmer is in breach.

Not necessarily. Farmers are allowed to move stock around their own land, even in TB areas or when under restrictions, and wouldn't have to record it. Only movement to a different farm is restricted.

Cattle given a bucket of water would be highly likely to knock it over and then destroy the bucket!

In breach of what RedWrecker? farmers are freely allowed to move cows between their own fields if they are part of the same holding?

I can't remember the exact figures but cattle drink somewhere between 70-100L a day, with dairy cows drinking more. They'll be getting some from the grass but nowhere near enough and it can lead to all sorts of nasty problems.

www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-defra#:~:text=Find%20out%20about%3A,or%20call%200300%201234%20999 try the UK number here.

Crap link, sorry.

I'm hoping that as OP hasn't been back it's been resolved.

Cattle do drink a lot of water when they are inside and also when it's hts hot outside, but not as much outside.

Whilst they absolutely shouldn't have been in there without a water source they also probably would have actually been ok for 24 hours in wet conditions. Just like humans wouldnt keel over and die if we didnt get a glass of water all day as long as we were still eating, they will have got some hydration from the grass etc.

As someone else said, when they get desperate for water cattle get pretty destructive, they barge through fences, jump gates and make an absolute racket. If these cows were otherwise grazing happily they were probably ok despite the OPs concern.

Given they are bullocks it wouldnt be in the farmers interests for them to become unwell, I suspect they have been put in that field for fattening for a few weeks before becoming Christmas roast beef.

Hi everyone, didn’t want to update till I had good news.

Finally, this morning, the four bullocks got water. After three nights and nearly three days. But not before I had to call the owner for the third time, and have an absolutely flaming row (which left me all of a doodah!)

It’s going to be awkward, because he’s in charge of all the stock round here and we (neighbours and I) often have to call him about animals in trouble...

Thank you for all your comments.

Thanks for the update op and thank you for being an advocate for those animals.

Thanks for the good news update.

What's the matter with someone who thinks that's okay?
He's the one who should be feeling awkward for neglecting animals.

We all deserve someone looking out for us.

Thank you for what you did OP x

It’s going to be awkward, because he’s in charge of all the stock round here and we (neighbours and I) often have to call him about animals in trouble... Really

Hmm. There are mostly great farmers who look after their stock to the nth degree. But there have some huge problems with commoners who neglect their cattle (at £650 per year subsidy they also overstock and overgraze and some don't even live in the area). And farmers in between.

I'll be honest. I'm finding all this difficult to believe. Why would a farmer leave animals without water on common land where they could be seen easily by the OP who seems to be animal welfare officer for the whole county. Indeed why would the farmer leave them without water at all?

I volunteer cow check for a community farm, they have to be checked at least once a day for water

Water is absolutely essential and a legal requirement under the animal welfare Act 2006.

If you have issues again you need to give the RSPCA a row and remind them of their legal duty of care - they absolutely do not have to wait for suffering to occur before taking action - that's the whole point of the animal welfare act

@Veterinari

Water is absolutely essential and a legal requirement under the animal welfare Act 2006.

If you have issues again you need to give the RSPCA a row and remind them of their legal duty of care - they absolutely do not have to wait for suffering to occur before taking action - that's the whole point of the animal welfare act

No, but when there’s only once RSPCA inspector covering 2 counties and you’ve got a dog with a broken leg at one end and cows without water but otherwise healthy at the other end, which one are they going to prioritise? And then once the dog is rescued, you’ve got a bird with a broken wing v healthy cows without water. Etc etc.

They are underfunded and overworked.

@derxa

I'll be honest. I'm finding all this difficult to believe. Why would a farmer leave animals without water on common land where they could be seen easily by the OP who seems to be animal welfare officer for the whole county. Indeed why would the farmer leave them without water at all?

Don’t be daft . Land let by the Council for grazing, not ‘common land’. Not on a footpath, but often used by dog walkers when, as is usual, there’s no stock in there. Animals get themselves in trouble all the time; it’s not even a sign of a bad stockman. And passing people notice, and often feel compelled to do something about it. We’re not busybodies - we’d usually rather have been able to go home for tea without worrying!

As for why he’d leave them so long without water - you tell me. He did.

'It's farming Jim but not as we know it' to paraphrase Spock from Star Trek