Neighbour (hobby farmer) threatening to shoot our pet goats

[Picasso31]

Does anybody know if he is legally entitled to do this if they get into his orchard (overgrown 'heritage' trees surrounded by weeds that he is apparently 'nurturing' -suspect there is rural funding available for this as he is a hobby farmer with very poorly managed land).

We have checked his orchard and there is no damage to his trees. He keeps his sheep in there who are as likely to eat his trees as our goats. Feeling rather threatened by this as women living alone as he was rather aggressive on the phone.

What would you do?

Its a draw then ? annoying goats v randy ram ?

I am very disappointed in the lack of photos of your trespassing ungulates @Picasso31

Not to drip feed, but the fences are his legal property and he refuses to maintain them, which would keep our goats out.

This is ridiculous. Your poor neighbour. Take some ownership of this and sort out your fences and stop complaining about your neighbour.

I guess as the goats aren't fenced in they would count as feral, then he would be perfectly entitled to shoot them. All depends on whether they are registered.

Would the same apply to his ram ? If he isn't maintaining his fences to keep his livestock secure ?

Why would anyone want to shoot a ram, they taste awful.

Well I wouldn't shoot the ram or the goats or the free range freisians

Next door isn't a chap called Jeremy is he OP ?

Just call the police and let them know he’s threatened this - and that he’s not maintaining the fences. Also report both to the council. If the fencing is his responsibility and he shoots your animals and it’s been reported, then he could be charged with some kind of antisocial behaviour/animal cruelty/neglect thing.

@Justilou1 OP has a legal obligation to provide her animals with a suitable home, including fences. She is the negligent owner. No wonder her neighbour is frustrated.

So what people are saying is that when it comes to livestock you need to double fence, ie you cannot rely on a neighbour's fence?

You make sure your animals are safe - ie, contained on your own property. It’s basic small holder’s common sense.

John Finnemore has an excellent insight into this:

He doesn't keep goats. It's not his job to provide a goat-safe barrier on the perimeter.

You're the goat keeper. You're in charge of keeping the goats on your own land.

Methinks the pot is calling the kettle black. There appears to be more than one hobby farmer here and you are clearly getting on the other hobby farmer's goat.

So, the other hobby farmer's trees are still standing, what about his, ummmm, other crops?

I wouldn't just be relying on electric

Honestly Op. There is a world of difference.between the damage goats cause versus the damage that sheep cause.
You need to fence them in yourself.

Goats are bastards, they can kill off saplings and they will eat leaves and bark on trees.

It’s a completely different ball game than a sheep, sheep are calm generally inoffensive.

Farmer is right.

Sheep like tree leaves too and will merrily strip low hanging branches , goats will up the anti though and do a full topiary sculpture of any tree. If you are going down the electric fencing route, I agree you might need to consider posts and sheep wire or netting and electric, I would go large, go for the cow grade stuff, on the plus side it will stop the rams too

@Soubriquet

Erect your own fence

Doesn’t matter if it’s his to maintain, it’s down to you to keep your own animals safe

This. Also, farmers have a legal right to shoot dogs that enter thier land and threaten livestock.. Not sure about livestock causing damage but I"d imagine he could possibly shoot them?

Goats are dicks. They can escape from anywhere and eat anything. They can also tell when an electric fence is out of power and will just climb over it

Goats are dicks. They can escape from anywhere and eat anything. They can also tell when an electric fence is out of power and will just climb over it

They are frightfully clever and they aren't afraid to use their intelligence to do evil.

They are like cats, except with hooves and horns. Never trust a goat.

I entirely sympathise OP. We have goats. We have 5ft stock fence with chicken wire over the top and still the buggers manage to get out occasionally. Goats are notorious for it. Electric may help. We don't use it as ours run straight through it. Couple of Heras panels across the gap? I don't think he can shoot them, he's just meant to return them or contact you to ask you to collect them. Equally if they are his fences you can't fix them, but I would probably put my own fence within the boundary.

I agree with a PP who said that it should be friendly give and take because livestock do get out from time to time and getting all grumpy about it tends to backfire when it'll likely be his ram that gets out next breeding season when there's ewes the other side of the fence! The only thing he can do I ask you to pay damages but as they haven't touched the trees sounds like he can't even do that this time.

@EmergencyHydrangea

Goats are dicks. They can escape from anywhere and eat anything. They can also tell when an electric fence is out of power and will just climb over it

😀 ours run through electric even if it's turned on! The old wether is long coated and so doesn't feel it and the others blindly follow him. They are absolute pillocks and far too clever. Bloody love them though!

I am absolutely disgusted at the lack of goat photo's on this thread !

[quote FATEdestiny]m.youtube.com/watch?v=IVwnAyw6m0Y[/quote]
PP - I offered the world's greatest Goat meme. That must count for something!

Also, farmers have a legal right to shoot dogs that enter thier land and threaten livestock..

No they don’t. That’s urban myth. What they have is a potential/probable legal defence again property damage.