COWS team are pushing to increase dialogue about our aims (notably the fencing off of footpaths from cattle) and since we live in different parts of England and Wales we are having zoom meetings to discuss our plans and talk about how to proceed.
So what are we doing?
We are notifying people that we now hold an excellent set of statistics on cattle attacks – and our experts should be called upon when asking how people can safely navigate a cattle field. We know cattle attacks are not rare and all near misses should be acted upon so a death or serious injury can be averted. We know that only separation of cows from walkers will keep walkers safe and cows unflustered.
Here’s where we’ve got to thus far –
1) We have sent a copy of our latest briefing (via email) to all senior coroners in England and Wales.
2) We are in the process of contacting (via email) major landowners with a copy of our latest briefing note and notification of any attacks or near misses that have occurred on their land. (This is tricky as we do not always know exactly who’s land the attacks occur on, but where we do know it is very useful information for the land owner.)
3) We are in the process of contacting organisations with sway in the farming world, eg: National Trust Board, The Ramblers, The Forestry Commission, HSE, with the above briefing report. We’ve also contacted the MP’s for agriculture and health and safety.
4) We are actively trying to use media channels to inform, but this is difficult as TV programmes seem to wish to use cattle “experts” who push the mainly useless advice of “respecting the cattle” and letting your dog go/or keeping it on a lead, depending where you are in the trampling process. We know from all your reports there is no safe way to walk through cattle (especially if you are alone or a couple) and dogs only feature in ½ of our reports (and the HSE’s)
5) Everyone who reports to us and agrees to us contacting them (and leaves an email address) is contacted by our team. This is to support those suffering from trauma and also to suggest/encourage them to also notify HSE and the landowner AND their MP – plus any other relevant sites. If we don’t notify them – they will continue to believe nothing needs to change. We also suggest that anyone injured sues the farmer – this is not encouraging money grabbing, many people are out of pocket with lack of salary, physio expenses, cost of necessary home help and need financial help.
6) Additional help is needed – We have many followers on Facebook, our website comes up very quickly now on an internet search, so we are getting more reports – it is wonderful that people are adding to our statistics (not so wonderful that attacks happen though) – more reports = more work for our team, so it would be great to have another member on our team just so when one of us feels a bit poorly, or wants to go on holiday we can without loosing our groups momentum. Send us an email if you can help cows.safety.group@gmail.com
7) You don’t have to be a core group member of COWS to help – here is a link to our latest briefing report https://killercows.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/oct-2024-cows-data-report-1.pdf and if you know anyone suffering a near miss or attack, then send the landowner this plus notice of the attack and suggest they fence off their cattle.
Cattle Safety 
I farm 65 acres and 30 acres, if I’m stopped from putting cattle in my fields which most have paths that cross 2 acres of field the farm is finished.
I’ve fenced off 1 path but the others are financially out of my budget with a financial loss of £2000 last account.
I would like to close my paths for the 2 days it takes to graze, but the law needs to change and also farmers to not abuse the privilege.
LikeLike
Thank you for fencing off one path Stuart, we understand the stresses of farming and hope that financial help can be organised to allow for more fencing. I suspect that it is not possible for you to have an alternative route marked out for walkers to follow to avoid cattle?
We need walkers to ensure they have their dogs on leads, to pick up their poo and not to drop litter, we need farmers to not just plonk a sign up warning of cattle even when there are none in a field, or feeding the cows right next to the stile so cattle congregate there – ideally we need fences so farmers can get on with what they do and walkers can go past without bothering anyone. But thank you for responding.
LikeLike
The law must help farmer’s temporary close the field, allow the cows to graze, then reopen the field for safety and keeping the path clear, not overgrown.
Where I work with cattle the paths use the routes the tractors use and cattle walk, my wife’s grandfather started the farm in 1939.
Fencing off cattle from paths is not always practical, there’s the autumn where fields have to be opened up as the grass slows but too soon to house the cattle, FYI a bale of straw is £35-£40 I go through 400 bales Nov-May.
When the fields are opened up you have a gateway crossing a path. Again reinforcing fencing only works in certain situations, and if walkers want green spaces you need to fully support the small family farmer, once we are gone the land is lost to these big corporations who don’t listen.
LikeLike
Should we be incorporating the newer figures as we know of
LikeLike
Perhaps we can do a follow up news update to keep everyone informed.
LikeLike
Great to hear – it’s time for action, indeed. Please do not assume that the National Trust is doing all it can to fence off cattle, or get farmers to do it. I am surrounded by NT land, and am up against the local Estate manager (Wallington, Northumberland) who looks only at cost and income, and even at this minute one of their walking trails from the house takes visitors through a field with cattle and calves. Just 5 min walk from their car park, and it’s a short section of the walk that could very easily be diverted and fenced off.
Northumberland is horrendous for encountering cattle almost anywhere, all year round, some in wide open spaces (e.g. the Cheviots) which you often cannot overlook, and I’ve had many an aborted walk, and basically given up now walking by myself unless I’m sure of the route being cattle free. This means that, whilst I am keeping myself safe, the extent to which myself and othesrs refrain from using PROW due to the risk of encountering cattle is unreported.
I understand you need helpers, unfortunately, I cannot commit any volunteer time right now, already volunteered-out!
LikeLike
Gabi that is shocking to hear of the lack of awareness from the National Trust – can I use your (anonymous) comments in a reply to the email I’ve sent to their Chief Executive? Your support is greatly appreciated.
LikeLike
absolutely! I’ve long asked for safe routes across National Trust land, from our village, only to be rebuked repeatedly by the Estate Manager Sally Richards (also profiled on C4’s Our Dream Farm last year). The’ve put in lots of new fences in the area for conservation purposes (in the process, depriving cattle from tree shelter…), some of them fences for which I fail to see a purpose (I used to be a volunteer ranger, so I have an insider perspective), and yet, they do not want to protect walkers at their behest. My last contact with Sally ended in a convoluted, ambiguous, PR-style reply from her, which meanders between good intentions, glossing over reality, and shifting responsibility to others. Please note that the latest breach I highlighted is part of the Broomhouse walk, which she mentions, and I’m happy to take pictures for evidence. – Can I send you the email from Sally?
LikeLike
Yes please Gabi, but can you send it via our gmail account, thank you
cows.safety.group@gmail.com
LikeLike
Brilliant work guys Ultimately needs a law change which prosecutes landowners or keeps catt
LikeLike
We agree, the law does need changing, and landowners, organisations, MP’s etc.. need to be aware of the scale of the problem. Thanks for your support Martin.
LikeLike