Why would you move to the middle of farmland if you are scared of farm animals?

[RocketPanda]

I live in the countryside, surrounded by fields and until recently my nearest neighbour was a distant speck.
There was a derelict house that has been bought and renovated and I met my new neighbours yesterday. There's a big field between our houses and they asked was it used for animals. I said yes in the spring it usually has cows and calves in it. The husband said There better not be because he and their children are terrified of cows and big animals and can just about cope with hearing my donkeys.

Why on earth would you choose to move here then?

Reminds me of the personin our village who wanted horse riders to stop riding on the bridleways because she kept having to put her dog on the lead. We live in an area where there are loads of footpaths.

God geese really scare me!

also horses scare me…

I'm really sorry to disappoint but I won't be posting photos of any animals. As they are rescue animals they are taken from some pretty awful situations and some "owners" don't think twice about threatening the charities and trying to steal animals back. We try to keep locations of horses pony's and donkeys under wraps. Funnily enough they never come looking to pay the vets fees or disposal fees when we find deceased animals.

Gobshite ( as the man has been nicknamed in my house) dropped a housewarming/halloween party invite to me yesterday evening. I definitely think the animal thing is more him than the children, they kept leaning down to the hens and he kept ushering them back. I gave him some eggs which were freshly laid and he looked very taken aback. The girls were asking all about them and I showed them how we had to go looking everyday because they liked to change laying spots. I might invite them to help someday and counteract dad's fears.

Roll on slurry season!

@LastNight1Dreamt1WentToManderleyAgain My neighbours put a huge bowl of grain on the ground in their garden. For the pigeons.. Can you imagine the numbers of mice we're getting? They deny all knowledge of mice..

@RocketPanda How lovely of you to take time with Gobshite's children.. they'll remember that all their lives. And probably mock Gobshite, lol..

Place marking for when the cows calve! people are weird aren't they! Perhaps they will settle and learn

It's great that Gobshites' kids are taking an interest in the animals!

Maybe he'll learn something useful himself.

Sad world we live in... Thanks for looking after the poor creatures. ❤

😂🤣😂

Two little stories from me - one from us in a livestock area, the other from arable farming friends.

"We understand cows need to be in fields (say the new neighbours) but would appreciate if you could only put the ones without the big horns as they may be dangerous if we need to walk across the field" - the cattle with the big horns are Highlands which probably are one of the safest, friendliest beasts going! Very happy to put my families Limos in there which can be a pain but they do not have horns so that is fine!

Secondly, arable farmer asked if he could not drive a combine along the narrow lanes as it causes delays - could he just use the A roads.

If I may also say if anybody is struggling with caring for your pets please don't be afraid to contact your local charities who can help with rehoming. A scared abandoned animal is much harder to rehome than one going from a loving owner to another loving owner. They won't judge or think little of you but see you putting your pets interests first.

Because they are idiots.

a few got into my mums garden through the hedge once.

Shetlands can be right little dickheads.
and geese. there was a bridlepath that went alongside one of the farm fields we used to use, and the bloody geese would charge the horses en masse, to make them bolt.
it was quite funny when you were used to it and knew what to expect. we just cut out the middle man and got them cantering as soon as we reached that stretch. the geese still charged though.

or worse, feed them things that can make them ill, or worse.

I remember a few people that worried about what we called "The fatty field" at our yard "but there's hardly any grass!"
yes, that's the point. they're in that field because they're prone to getting chubby on the spring grass, and at a higher risk of laminitis. they're literally in there so they don't get a really nasty and dangerous condition.

Absolutely understand and respect this viewpoint. My line of work unfortunately brings me into occasional contact with these types of people. They are beyond words or decency.

Thank you for all you are doing for the creatures who cannot speak for themselves.

Our Highlands are being scanned next week, to see if they are expecting. To judge from Graham the Bull's expression, I suspect all our ladies will be blessed and happily surfing the waves of amniotic fluids. 🏄‍♀️🌊😉

my cat peed all over me the first time he heard a cow moo. we take him in the garden on a harness in summer, and he was sat on me. we were at my mums house, and the field next to it had beef cattle (they had a lovely, if short, life, always playing, lots of space, well cared for)
they were very nosy, so had come up to the hedge to have a good look, and Crowley was concerned at them, but okay up until one of them mooed. then he peed himself. literally. bless him.
and he's the kind of cat that usually takes everything in his stride (car trips, roadworks - he loves the hi vis jackets, going to the vet, but not cows, apparently.

@Badburyrings

"but I could never walk through a field of them with calves. Heard far too many stories about them trampling people."

Generally on happens to dog walkers where the cows become protective of their calves and try to attack the dog , dog owner tries to protect the dog leading to the dog owner being trampled.

Moral of the story don't take your dog on a walk or if you do then don't go into fields with cows.

also, I love peoples reactions to first time seeing a pig up close. no, they aren't little pink cutesy things, they are great big hulking hairy beasts with enormous teeth.

love them though. pigs are gorgeous. just in a way that people don't expect them to be.

If I had a pig I'd name him Henry VIII after that description 😍

get several! we had three different chicken enclosures, each with their own roosters (the layers, the banties, and the Cemanis that my mum was breeding that were in a single variety enclosure)
and the roosters all set each other off. one would crow, then the others would have to crow too, so their girls didn't think they weren't the big man.

Glad to see I'm not the only poster on this thread thinking of Patagonian attack chickens, and of course Marilyn the rescue donkey with a very loud voice.