I was in Sainsbugs the other day topping up Lovely Hubby's stash of anti itching, anti inflammatory, anti everything to do with nettles medicines and I spotted the latest edition of their magazine. I pulled it out to add to the conveyor belt and look it had a free gift enclosed in the bag it was in .... whoop whoop a chocolate bar just for me. Then when I got home and opened the bag out fell a Peppermint Tea Pig
What a pity it wasn't Nettle Tea ..... hehehe :-)
On a much less amusing note, yesterday I pulled up the bedroom blind to find three mangy looking sheep in our paddock and on looking up the hill five more chomping away all around the felled Oak.
I was NOT happy :-(
I rang around the farmers we know and none of them were the owners of the sheep, the only person I couldn't get hold of was the owner of the ewe and lamb we still have in our end field. For the first hour his phone was busy and then it was going unanswered.
Then I spotted that the sheep had all made their way into the paddock so I dived out and hotch potched together a means of blocking our open gateway ....
..... and then I phoned the Police on the 101 number.
They were really helpful and on speaking to an officer at our local Police Station in Llanrwst he said he was pretty sure he knew who's sheep they would be. He rang me straight back to say contact had been made and within an hour the owner of the ewe and lamb .... and all the other sheep was here. He promised to return as soon as possible with a trailer to move his animals.
Then proceeded to admire our trailers!!
Now if he had been as good as his word and had removed his other sheep when we first asked him to I might possibly have offered the use of our largest trailer, even offered to move the sheep for him when LH gets back, even though all our trailers are full at the moment and it would mean emptying the largest one out.
But to get neighbourly things done for you , I strongly believe that first you have to be a good neighbour .... and in my opinion he is not. If he had been there would be no rush to move the sheep, after all they are giving our field a good grazing and manuring. But now I just want them gone and FAST!! I am fed up of the responsibility of something that is not mine.
Am I just being stroppy or am I right?
Oh ... and by the way this morning the sheep are all still here, looking for all the world like they live here, and the dogs can't be walked around the paddock, so I am going to have to take them out in the car to go for a walk as we have no pavements or footpaths along our road.
Sue xx
You are right I would feel exactly the same as you,what a cheeky sod he is, hope it gets sorted today.x
ReplyDeleteThe least he could do is offer you some meat in return for the grazing! (I know your are vegetarian, so hubby would benefit!).
ReplyDeleteTry sending him an invoice for the grazing and petrol for having to take your dogs in the car to go walkies, call the RSPCA, he's not a responsible owner, but, your are.
You are not stroppy, just exercising your rights as a landowner and I feel you have been a very good neighbour!
I hope this is resolved soon. Poor sheep having such a person being 'responsible for them!
By the way, I hope I'm going to be a responsible carer of Hens in a couple of weeks! :-)
Grrrrr! Infuriating for you! I love how some people say yes to everything, and then do......nothing. Maybe another call from the police should get some action? Enjoy your walks though xx
ReplyDeleteHi Sue
ReplyDeleteI'd feel just the same as you. No-one minds helping out neighbours but he's taking the michael. I think another call to the police may be in order!
KJ x
Perhaps you could just let them out onto the road and be done with it. Sadly that will probably end badly for one of the sheep or someone driving by. I would call and give him a deadline and advise him you will be charging him if they are not gone by that date.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't do that there have been enough deaths on our road, both human and animal to risk anymore. We live in the middle of two bad bends on a major A road that traffic speed round at very unsafe speeds. It would be criminal to let them back on it.
DeleteA deadline sounds like a good idea, although I have already done that once with the ewe and lamb :-(
I would phone the police again if he doesn't move them. Guess you need to find out where they are getting in otherwise all your veg and fruit will be munched. Cheeky blighter, I'd tell him what I thought!
ReplyDeleteAccording to him someone left the gate to their field open .... the last time I saw them they were standing on top of the all to their field so my guess is they just hopped over the wall when they ran out of grazing and walked along the road until they found some they liked the look of more.
DeleteAt the moment we have no gate to our property, we are waiting to get planning permission to alter the splay of our drive to make things safer for pulling out and until we get that we can't erect gates.
Hope the sheep get home,,,,, and enjoy the chocolate!!
ReplyDeleteThe RSCPA should lay a charge of animal abandonment against him- that should get some action I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteMust say they make a nice picture grazing in the paddock though
Elizabeth in Cape Town
You are right, he's more than taken advantage! Pleasing to hear the police were so helpful.
ReplyDeleteThey were very helpful. According to a member of the family who is a police officer, the police actually do not deal with livestock unless they are posing an immediate threat to traffic.
DeleteWe contact the farmer first,then the police as loose livestock are a danger for drivers.
ReplyDeleteJane x
That's just what I tried to do only he wasn't answering his phone, so I called the police.
DeleteNot selfish before, you have had them long enough. Free chocolate is the best kind!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the others are still there, that's been ages! you have to patience of a saint IMO xx
ReplyDeleteAI think Fiona has the right idea, give him a dead-line, after which you assume he has abandoned them and send / take the lot to auction.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of selling the lot, they would most likely only go for meat though as they are barren ewes. Unfortunately as I do not own them and have their paperwork or records I could not sell them :-(
Deleteclamp the trailers. that was my first thought. that is bad isn't it.
ReplyDeleteSue
ReplyDeleteI have forgotten to tell you.. That you have inspired me
I have set myself a challenge his year to plant out " bosoms" without buying a seedling, plant, bulb or seed
I am 3/4 filled so far!
Brilliant :-)
DeleteI really need to come and see your 'bosoms' for myself ....hehehe
Always be careful of people looking at your trailers. They're a hot commodity on the stolen market. make sure they're locked up and out of site. As for the sheep I would have ate the ewe and lamb by now!
ReplyDeleteI know!!
DeleteUnfortunately, at the moment we have nowhere we can put them that is out of sight. All we can do is make sure that the locks are always on, and soon we will at least be able to lock them in the paddock as we have new fencing going up next week.
Once our open fronted garages are built they will be parked in there with the cars blocking them in, which will help me rest a little bit easier.
My first thought was "cheeky sod", glad somebody else's was too. He has taken advantage as you know, totally irresponsible, he doesn't deserve animals. Gggrrrr, makes me mad! Xx
ReplyDeleteWhat about ringing any other farmer and offering him/her them? They'd probably be glad of free livestock! Or, somewhere like Women's Refuge might appreciate them - they have mouths to feed!
ReplyDeleteSheep cannot change hands without the relevant paperwork and computer records being updated. There has to be a chain of paperwork so that the source of all meat is identifiable.
DeleteI doubt me dumping them on the steps of the Women's Refuge would be very welcome ;-)