Two farmers chased by bulls on separate occasions this week have issued safety warnings to reduce the number of attacks.
One farmer told Agriland that “even a quiet bull isn’t quiet”. The other farmer took to his social media to warn the public not to trust bulls.
Ben Hamilton from Blessington, Co. Wicklow was “going for the cows” last Monday evening (June 5).
He had noticed that in the previous two or three days his bull was “acting up a bit”. When walking down from the field that evening, the bull came up to meet him.
“Only for there was an ESB pole in the middle of the field for me to hide behind, I would have been screwed”, Hamilton said.
The bull stood at the other side of the pole, “bawling and putting his head down on the ground”, while Hamilton rang for help.
He was about ten minutes waiting, but luckily escaped the situation.
“You really can’t be taking those chances. All it takes is one chance and they could attack,” Hamilton warned.
Glenbrook bull attack
Peter Twomey, owner of Glenbrook farm, Co. Cork, suffered a bull attack last Monday morning (June 5), leaving him with some broken ribs.
Twomey explained that he just walked passed when the bull went straight for him “without any warning”.
Twomey believes that the heat could increase attacks or the fact that a lot of cows are in calf.
He wants to put a warning out there for everyone to “not trust a bull”.
“Kids will be on holiday soon and keep them away,” Twomey said.
Safety guidelines
Teagasc has a list of safety guidelines to reduce attacks.
It said that the best way to reduce the danger posed on the farm by a bull is to remove the need for one by using artificial insemination.
Other suggestions include:
- Never allow dogs or pets to accompany you when checking animals in a field;
- Always carry a walking stick through fields with animals;
- It is vital to keep animals in your sight at all times;
- If any animal shows signs of aggression it should be sent for slaughter.