Dog Walkers In Hay Field

[Jsmith2211]

Our rented farm on the outside of the town has now become half a farm, and half a building estate... its a pain, there are a lot of people who think its OK to throw a dog toy across a field of wheat because theres no sign to say they cant! They have all been walking around the grass field out there (has a tree with bats in so they cant build on it) and thats been fine for a bit because we havent been using it. However i would like to try to make some hay out there. There is no public right of way through, round or in that field, so i am within my rights to just tell them to clear off (correct me if im wrong on that). However, i have no idea what the best way to do that is. There are gaps in the fence round the outside, and any amount of people walking round there. I would just top a path round the outside, but I know they will let their dogs off to run round there anyway and I do not want dog poo in my hay, because of the problems that can cause. Does anybody have experience with this type of thing that they could advise me on the best course of action? Fixing the fences and locking the gates seems the first port of call, but if they still go in there, what can I actually do to stop it?

Thanks in advance

 

[Cowmansam]

buy a jersey bull

 

[Skintagain]

The three S’s.

Signs

Shouting

Slurry

 

[Yale]

The three S’s.

Signs

Shouting

Slurry

You forgot the fourth,’shoot them’.

 

[bluebell]

getting worse, and worse ? more building mores houses more people more aggro livestock keeping in the urban fringe will become almost impossible ? people on here who talk about wanting more investment infrustructure housing etc in the fewer more remote areas dont no what their missing or asking for ? we have it here had it for over 30 years, each year it gets worse ? if people want to get on to, into your land you try and keep them offf, we have ?

 

[devonbeef]

Our rented farm on the outside of the town has now become half a farm, and half a building estate... its a pain, there are a lot of people who think its OK to throw a dog toy across a field of wheat because theres no sign to say they cant! They have all been walking around the grass field out there (has a tree with bats in so they cant build on it) and thats been fine for a bit because we havent been using it. However i would like to try to make some hay out there. There is no public right of way through, round or in that field, so i am within my rights to just tell them to clear off (correct me if im wrong on that). However, i have no idea what the best way to do that is. There are gaps in the fence round the outside, and any amount of people walking round there. I would just top a path round the outside, but I know they will let their dogs off to run round there anyway and I do not want dog poo in my hay, because of the problems that can cause. Does anybody have experience with this type of thing that they could advise me on the best course of action? Fixing the fences and locking the gates seems the first port of call, but if they still go in there, what can I actually do to stop it?

Thanks in advance

by fencing locking gates you stop most, then need to work on rest .barbed wire on top of gate.signs on saying this is a crop.you are be filmed .spend a bit of time stopping them ,and telling them you are going to follow them home so you know where you are going dog walking with your dog tomorrow. through the above somebody on the edge of our big village managed to get people out and keep them out.I did the fencing for field , said people were stopping me have a good old grumble ,saying that had right.I soon put them right. cheeky bas..rds ,good luck

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Be careful. Once they've done it for a few years they can ask for it to be declared a public common and gain permanent access rights.

A "Landowner deposit" to your County Council rights of way team is your friend in this.

 

[britt]

Is there a local facebook group or parish magazine.
Start by putting an article or post there to explain why people shouldn't use the fields in that way, keep it friendly, make them feel that it is part of their environment and their responsibility, and you will get the reasonable one onside. They will then help you with the idiots. Include a map of local rights of way if you can.
Once that has had time to sink in, repair fences, put up signs and speak to those who persist. That should reduce the problem.
Once you've done all of that, resort to some of the measures above.

 

[neilo]

We have a 9ac grass field next to town that is the same. We host the local show on it in August most years, which I’ve been happy to do as it’s been there for years. However, some people seem to think that it means it’s ‘their’ field. There is a footpath down a 30’ wide stone track down one side, which leads down to our drive and makes a heavily used circular walk.
Lots of dog walkers are too lazy for that though, so just walk round the grass field. As the show was cancelled last year (& this), I took the opportunity to DD a fodder crop into it, before reseeding back to grass in the Autumn. They still tried to walk round it ..... I might have bellowed a bit, but it amused me watching them retreat when I was 2 fields away in full cry!

I did cut it for hay a few years ago, and even found dog walkers wandering through the cut crop to let their dogs have a cr*p. They couldn’t understand why I was a little irate.

I hope I’ve broken the habits of a few by putting it through a crop, but no doubt the self-entitled ones will be back.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Slurry is the best thing, about an inch deep on grass
Not your grass their lawn

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Nothing worse that dog shi te hay

 

[Dog Bowl]

Have the same issue. Have resorted to permanent stock fencing with an electric hot wire along the top. All gates are padlocked shut. Yes it's a pain in the arse for me. And yes, people may make an effort to clamber over the gates, but they always struggle to lift their fat overweight labradors over too, so have found that this has sorted the problem.

3 years ago we had cut the whole lot for hay. I went to spread the grass for the last pass and couldn't believe the amount of dog crap in it. Ended up baling it and used it for bedding as I couldn't bring myself to feed it after seeing what I had seen.

Fenced the whole lot the year after.

 

[TexelBen]

Could you shoot a few and string them on the fence to deter others?

 

[YorksLass]

Do you have a village magazine that covers the area? You could write a short piece on how dog poo contains neospora that causes cows and sheep to abort their babies - put it in lay person terms and tug at heart strings and consciences. Their dogs poo on your hay field, they animals eat the hay and lose their calf/lamb, become infertile etc

Dog poo could cause abortions in cattle - BugBitten (biomedcentral.com)

 

[Jsmith2211]

Ive decided to just not bother with that field, as there are too many entrances and exits, holes in the fence etc. It will probably be built on in a few years anway. However the fields the other side of the railway are arable, so im going to put some effort into keeping people walking down the footpath (and not continuing down into the next fields where they arent allowed!) Main problem is ive got to clear the footpath out, then i can tell them to stop walking down my hedge to go through the gap at the top. Once the footpath is clear im just going to block up the fences where they get through and hopefully they will realise they can only go down the footpath...

 

[tepapa]

If you ever coppice some big old hedging somewhere on the farm, take big grab fulls and use to block the gaps in hedges. Makes a barrier impossible to go through or over, they can't move it or break it to gain access. They can maon about it but that's about it.

 

[Sid]

Could you shoot a few and string them on the fence to deter others?

The dogs or the dog walkers?

 

[Boso]

If you have a crop in the field, encourage them to have their dogs in the crop. After which you tell them it has been sprayed with glyphosate that morning. Works wonders.

 

[Longlowdog]

@Boso , even cheaper just run a sprayer full of water round with them in the field. Let them guess what you are spraying.

 

[Smith31]

When my father had this problem in a field many years ago one of the farm workers placed a kennel with a pit bull type dog on a long lead near the gateway, blimin thing would charge at any dog it saw, angry, loud, ferocious little thing it was.

Was totally legal and sorted the problem out. The domesticated dogs wouldn't dare set foot in the field, let alone the walkers. It was simply guarding privately owned land which was housing privately owned goods (hay), no different to dogs used by scrap yard owners.