Smells from farm

[DoAhhDiddy]

Call me stupid but we bought a house a few months ago next to a dairy farm and the smell is horrific. I’d say 4 days out of a week it’s bad.

There is cow muck running down the lane into field next to our house, so we have to drive through it to get into our property and end up with stinky car inside and out.

We did lots of research before we bought, spoke with farmer, spoke with neighbour, drove past loads of times during all types of weather (mainly summer) as we had reservations about proximity to farm, but the smell wasn’t prevalent or close to the property. Maybe a little whiff down the Lane but nothing like this.

We expected a bit of a smell now and then, particularly when they are spreading and could put up with say 7 days out of the month it being a bit smelly, but not for the majority of the time.

Can we expect the smell to improve when the cows are put out to pasture in the spring? If we have to then we’ll speak with the farmer to resolve but if that doesn’t help, what constitutes a smell nuisance and who do you report to? I really don’t think I’m going to be able to settle here unless it gets better.

All advice welcome!

Buys a house next to a farm - complains about smells from farm = stupid.

Doesn't like smell from the farm that you've recently chosen to buy next to and then expects the farmer to do something about = batshit.

Wants to know who to complain to about the smell which the farmer can't help because he's working a farm = hilarious!

You bought a house next to a farm. Accept it and embrace it or put your house back up for sale.

Ah Op I was going to say you were a dozy moo but didn't want to rub your nose in it.

Diagram please OP

You've been shirking your homework but it's not too late to teach yourself all about dairying and slurry management. Focus your research on The Archers (BBC Radio 4) , so that you've got lots of good advice to pass on to the farmer. He'll really appreciate your support and interest.

Is this a reverse? Are you the farmer?

Do you mean actual slurry running over the road (unlikely as that would pollute drains) or is it just muck along the lane where the cows walk between field and milking? It sounds like you are not set up for country living TBH.

It’s like me booking a hotel directly opposite St Paul’s cathedral and with the bells ringing keeping me awake wanted to go downstairs and complain

give your head a wobble that’s what I did. You really need to move

Cow shit running down the lane and onto land isn't a normal situation though, it sounds like something isn't right with how the farm is cleaning and storing it's waste. Not sure the right place to go with this, DEFA, The Environment Agency....the jave a responsibility to protect the environment and it doesn't sound like they are.

I feel nostalgic for when my DC were little. My lovely friend whose parents ran a dairy farm , used to very kindly hand down her DS’s clothes and they were a combination of Persil with a hint of manure. You’ll get used to it soon and you won’t notice the smell soon, others might though I guess.

They have been trialling carnivorous plants for the flies this year, might be worth a go for next summer.

🤣🤣 Another townie living the dream and realising the reality!

I can’t believe people think this is genuine 🤣🤣🤣

You may get used to it, but I used to live near a pig farm and the smell was eye watering. I moved.

😂🙈🍪

I grew up in the countryside. I find that smell quite comforting.
You'll get used to it.

We lived next door to a large dairy farm. In the winter they were housed indoors- and yes cow poo smells. Cows moo- loudly. Farm machinery is noisy and they start work before first sparrow fart in the morning.

In the summer they are outside, but the milkers are brought in twice a day for milking. They walk down the road (shitting) mill around in the farm yard , get milked, and then are walked back up the road to the field. More shit. The lane had a permanent coating of green poo, even after the farmer had gone over it with the road brush on the tractor.
And the flies- think Amytiville Horror.....

The only thing I am a little concerned about is you mention manure "running down the road" . Is this all the time, or occasionally? If it's all the time they could have issues with their slurry storage, which they can get into trouble for with the environment agency as it's a pretty nasty pollutant.

What I do know, from living in the countryside for a very long time, is that if you complain everyone will know, and you will be a/ very unpopular and b/ a universal source of amusement.

Hoping this is a joke but if not how bloody dare you. This just sums up how the UK is becoming a rural sort of Disneyland; green fields, cute animals, wonderful old buildings but heaven forbid you actually try to earn a living. Westminster and many city dwellers have no idea how much more support is needed and how much we are disadvantaged. Has Brexit, Ukraine, Covid taught them nothing about being independent as much as possible and feeding the country comes first on the list.

cow poo makes spectacular fertiliser - think of all those wonderful tomatoes. You could live in the city downwind of a sewerage plant and you only smell it when the wind comes from the east or west or whatever
Buyer beware
otherwise peg on nose - and wait for flies in the summer. Its rather like complaining about cockcrow next to a chicken farm

😂 😂 😂 😂

This thread has it all. We’ve got the OP being absolutely hilarious, the comments are gold, we’ve got people asking if this is a reverse, move it into classics, now we’ve even got people talking about covid …. This.is.MN.gold. Thank you OP. I’m sorry a dairy farm absolutely stinks and you didn’t know. 😂

I was just about to say the same. I grew up next to a dairy farm that also had horses. Absolutely love the smell now. I find it very comforting.
Good luck speaking to the farmer OP. He'll dine out on that conversation for years.

Is the farm called barn head?

down wind of barn head
and you’ll wish that you were dead
you can always tell, cause there’s a hell of a smell
when your down wind of barn head 🐄 🥛😂

Ummm I hate to break it to you but the countryside has farming smells. Even a good distance away from a farm you will smell stuff. You can't 'resolve' this.

As others have said… cows are often housed in mega sheds in winter, and out in spring and summer. So there’s more slurry to clear out in winter, which might account for the smell. Should get better in warmer months :) Is rubbish as sure you expected some smells but yes it can get very smelly! I like the smell as bit nostalgic to rural childhood but understandable you might not like it!

Or like someone booking a seaside hotel, with a sea view specified - and then complaining about the seagull noise?
Yup, dealt with that complaint, more than once!

Which is why I can quite believe that the OP is totally genuine!

@DoAhhDiddy wait until you've got your washing out and they muck out/muck spread and everything smells like cow shit 🤣🤣🤣 nothing like laying in cow shit scented sheets......

But as others have said if there genuinely is actual slurry running down the road then that's an issue, the rest of it, well it's all a bit 🦇💩

🤣