Taking livestock across a road singlehanded

funkey_monkey

Hi,

Got a bit of a puzzle here. I farm alongside my father (part time) on a small farm. We have land that is divided by a shared laneway (road service owned) which is not overly busy but does have a fair amount of traffic.

As my father is getting older and there is noone else to help on the farm I am starting to think about how I can move animals from one side of the laneway to the other by myself.

There is a single entry point to the land on the secondary side of the road (i.e the land on the opposing side to the farm yard and handling facilities). At one point the lane width is roughly 12ft and at the other end it would be closer to 25ft.

Obviously, I don't want to be blocking through access for other traffic (as one of the properties has a business) whilst I go running around the field after the animals so what are my options?

The animals I have are a mixture of young heifers and sheep. I can see maybe that a temporary gate could be used to block the 12ft part, but I can't see what I can use across the 25ft width which will not require an anchor in the centre of the road (have no right to put an anchor point in place - and don't want to go near that option).

Any barrier at the 25ft section will need to be burst proof as this laneway joins onto a busy main road. It will also need to be dismantled quickly as we don't want to hold traffic up longer than necessary.


Any ideas or practical solutions would be gratefully appreciated.


Thanks.

pakalasa

Can you run them straight across at the 12ft pt?
If so just hang 2 12ft gates. If you want to do it quickly, then you'll need some type of holding pen on each side. Get a few traffic bollards and leave them a bit back the road on both sides to warn traffic well in advance.

Baralis1

pakalasa wrote: »

Can you run them straight across at the 12ft pt?
If so just hang 2 12ft gates. If you want to do it quickly, then you'll need some type of holding pen on each side. Get a few traffic bollards and leave them a bit back the road on both sides to warn traffic well in advance.

That sounds like good advice. Another option is to have a pen on each land fragment and transport them between the pens using a cowbox.

You could use portable electric fence with a battery if they are used to/afraid of electric fence, on the wide section of the road. It is not really feasable though to keep the road blocked while you run around the field on your own chasing the cattle. They should be ready to cross. You could build a cheap enough pen using stakes and barbed wire at each side.

funkey_monkey

pakalasa wrote: »

Can you run them straight across at the 12ft pt?
If so just hang 2 12ft gates. If you want to do it quickly, then you'll need some type of holding pen on each side. Get a few traffic bollards and leave them a bit back the road on both sides to warn traffic well in advance.

No the opening is at a layby hence one part is a 12ft width and the other is ~25ft width.

I'll need to check up on temporary hurdles or the like which would contain cattle - sheep should be easy enough...

funny man

Buy a dog!

funkey_monkey

Got a dog, but he is no use with cattle.

funny man

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Got a dog, but he is no use with cattle.

why not?

johngalway

Just to sound a word of caution, I'd check with the farming bodies to see if they have advice for you on this. The reason I'd do so, is, all that needs happen is some one runs into your animals and you get landed in court with their solicitor/barrister asking you why you had no one on the road to direct traffic. I'm not saying that will happen of course, but it'd be something I'd be very wary of.

We were told by a solicitor once that we'd need someone on the road taking sheep out of an awkward field, that a dog on the road was about as good as a sheep on the road.

I'm not up on signage, barriers etc so can't say whether they would or wouldn't be sufficient to protect your interests.

funny man

johngalway wrote: »

Just to sound a word of caution, I'd check with the farming bodies to see if they have advice for you on this. The reason I'd do so, is, all that needs happen is some one runs into your animals and you get landed in court with their solicitor/barrister asking you why you had no one on the road to direct traffic. I'm not saying that will happen of course, but it'd be something I'd be very wary of.

We were told by a solicitor once that we'd need someone on the road taking sheep out of an awkward field, that a dog on the road was about as good as a sheep on the road.

I'm not up on signage, barriers etc so can't say whether they would or wouldn't be sufficient to protect your interests.

I'd be more in favour of the dog rounding up the cattle and bringing them out of the field while the farmer uses a gate and a vehical to run them across, don't see the point in the farmer herding the animals in the field while the dog watches the road.

That's like having a dog and barking yourself!

johngalway

funny man wrote: »

That's like having a dog and barking yourself!

He may as well do, he's already stated his own dog isn't up to working the cattle

funkey_monkey

Not going to change the dog for this. In my experience using dogs with cattle can increase their anxiety and lead to them becoming more nervy than with human handling.

funny man

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Not going to change the dog for this. In my experience using dogs with cattle can increase their anxiety and lead to them becoming more nervy than with human handling.

Well then your not a doggy man, i can take my stock down a busy main road with the aid off my bitches, it's not the dog that makes them nervy it's the handler unsure of what he's doing. you may build two pens and bring them across in a trailer.

RO 06

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Not going to change the dog for this. In my experience using dogs with cattle can increase their anxiety and lead to them becoming more nervy than with human handling.

if you get a good cattle dog and the cattle get used to him it would make herding the cattle so much easier. my father is great at training cattle and sheep dogs so never really had to run round the field chasing cattle. the dairy cows would start coming up the field once they seen the dog coming.

haybob

RO 06 wrote: »

if you get a good cattle dog and the cattle get used to him it would make herding the cattle so much easier. my father is great at training cattle and sheep dogs so never really had to run round the field chasing cattle. the dairy cows would start coming up the field once they seen the dog coming.

Yes and the dog gets used to the cattle, there is always one or two cheeky cows but there is a massive difference betwen suckler cows and dairy cows

RO 06

haybob wrote: »

Yes and the dog gets used to the cattle, there is always one or two cheeky cows but there is a massive difference betwen suckler cows and dairy cows

we have suckler cows as well

haybob

RO 06 wrote: »

we have suckler cows as well

You can't beat a good dog, a great alarm system too

funny man

haybob wrote: »

Yes and the dog gets used to the cattle, there is always one or two cheeky cows but there is a massive difference betwen suckler cows and dairy cows

there is a massive difference between a good cattle dog and a sheep dog bred not to grip. dogs will handle suckler cows if they were used to dogs.

yessam

I have a similar situation with my land. There is seven houses on the road I am on. About 18ft wide. I just put the tractor and trailer across the road at a time I know none of the neighbours will will be in a hurry like going to work, school, etc. I would only be doing it every two weeks in the grazing time of the year. Its perfectly safe and even some of the neighbours are newcomers from Dublin find it very amusing even I hold them for a few minutes.
Keep the neighbours on your side. Buy them a drink in the pub now and again and it will work.

JohnBoy

Saw a good setup yesterday,

Two gateways directly opposite each other, lets say 12 foot wide.

They had used double gates, but rather than using two six foot gates they'd used two twelve foot gates on each twelve foot opening, looked a bit odd, but meant they could fence across 24 foot of road completely safely.

Now you'd need some signage to warn motorists, but I thought it was a simple and neat setup.

reilig

funny man wrote: »

there is a massive difference between a good cattle dog and a sheep dog bred not to grip. dogs will handle suckler cows if they were used to dogs.

The biggest problem that I find with a dog at suckler cows is that the cows will always try to defend their calves. A dog at your side can put you in danger because no matter how used a cow is to a dog, if she feels that the dog is a threat to the calf she will defend.

Dogs are heaven sent on a dairy farm and it becomes routine for dairy cows to see a dog moving through them to get them out of a field. Its a great way to train a dog as the cows know that when he arrives, its milking time.

I don't keep a cattle dog anymore. The last fellow was good with sucklers but as he got older his reaction time was slower. He lost teeth from kicks and pucks and the final straw was when he was knocked out with a kick. It just wasn't fair on the poor dog - after 12 years on the farm he was cared for and treated like one of the children

Bizzum

Two of our suckler cows in particular lose all reason when the dog is about, with calves at foot, we find bucket of meal works well when we move them.
The meal won't be much good in the Op's position, except they might come to the gate easier!

funny man

reilig wrote: »

The biggest problem that I find with a dog at suckler cows is that the cows will always try to defend their calves. A dog at your side can put you in danger because no matter how used a cow is to a dog, if she feels that the dog is a threat to the calf she will defend.

Dogs are heaven sent on a dairy farm and it becomes routine for dairy cows to see a dog moving through them to get them out of a field. Its a great way to train a dog as the cows know that when he arrives, its milking time.

I don't keep a cattle dog anymore. The last fellow was good with sucklers but as he got older his reaction time was slower. He lost teeth from kicks and pucks and the final straw was when he was knocked out with a kick. It just wasn't fair on the poor dog - after 12 years on the farm he was cared for and treated like one of the children

i too have suckler cows and both dogs can work them but common sense must prevail i don't ask either dog to work at close quaters with cows and calves this is unfair to the dog and is a common mistake made by a poor handler or an inexperienced handler with no consideration for the dog. In my time of training dogs i've seen more bad handlers than bad dogs.

5live

haybob wrote: »

You can't beat a good dog, a great alarm system too

You dont put your dog in at night? Hope there are no sheep around you. My neighbours used do that but dead sheep were a pain so i pointed out their options. Most locked up. The others were shot on my land.
Just because your dog is there when you go to bed and get up doesnt mean they were there all night.
Not trying to start a fight, just pointing out control of dogs is 24 hours a day job

knotknowbody

funny man wrote: »

Well then your not a doggy man, i can take my stock down a busy main road with the aid off my bitches, it's not the dog that makes them nervy it's the handler unsure of what he's doing. you may build two pens and bring them across in a trailer.

Agree with this if you have a good dog and know how to work him, you should be able to bring cattle even sucklers with calves at foot, and sheep across and along most roads single handed - man on road dog in field to bring them out, then man ahead to slow down oncoming traffic, dog at the back and on the outside to keep them moving but in a group next to the left side ditch. have moved cattle this way for years without even coming close to incident.

Having said that you need to have an experienced dog who knows how to keep his distance from the cows right, so they retreat from him rather than attack him, you also need cows/sheep used to a dog so they know not to panic.

Figerty

You could go for the cheap option of using the electric fence Springs that can be pulled accross the gates... Put two on either gate post or on the gate and stretch accross the road. Cheap and cheerful way of doing it and also if someone drives into it it will break. Cows could loose the head and jump it, but if they recognise it as being live they will run accross the road without thinking.

Just an suggestion to keep costs down.

zetorman

Think John Boy has solved it for you ??? Seems to be perfect solution....you have a secure run way across the road and traffic is stopped. with a holding pen on each side even a young child could move any type of stock. I would stay well clear of dogs. Keep it simple and safe.

LostCovey

funny man wrote: »

Well then your not a doggy man, i can take my stock down a busy main road with the aid off my bitches,

You a rapper too?