Sheep constantly invading our garden and meadow !

[Manon]

Any help here would be much appreciated. A much reviled farmer in the village keeps a large flock of sheep which he allows to pretty much roam at will. He never mends any fences and has no idea where his sheep are at any time. We have chased them out of our meadow about three times a day for the last three days but when we are not here they roam all over my garden and eat everything in sight. It would be almost impossible to fence our huge meadow  and very expensive if it could be done. They do a great deal of damage to the plants and shrubs but don't quite destroy them. Is there anything at all we can do - the Maire loathes the man . Can I go to the gendarmes and what could they do ? Please don't say 'get a dog ' - I'm not a dog person !

[woolybanana]

I believe you can make a formal plainte to the gendarmes as stock owners are responsible for their beasts and what they do.

[Gardian]

Under any other circumstances, one would suggest that you get the Maire to lean on this bloke, but he clearly doesn't feel that he can or just won't.

I've absolutely no idea about the legalities of this, but how about a low voltage electric fence?  The reason that I suggest this is that there's one on the other side of our village surrounding a field of sweetcorn. We're probably talking about 1000 linear metres, with two wires set at about 30cms and 60 cms above the ground.

It can only have been placed there to keep the sangliers out of the crop area, so that they didn't start tramping around in their size 9's.

Not cheap of course, but cheaper than a pukka fence which you wouldn't necessarily want anyway.  No harm to the sheep - keeps them away from your property.

Just a thought.   

[Rob Roy]

Unfortunately you won't keep sheep out with just the normal two strands of electric fencing, they just go under or through it as they do most fencing. The best stuff to keep them in - or out - are the rolls of sheep fencing (made of squares of wire) you can buy at farm supply places fixed to stout wooden stakes but it must be very tightly tensioned to be any good, and the stakes need to be well down in the ground - maybe a local farmer has a post rammer on the back of his tractor that he would help you do the posts with.

Could you not just fence off your garden area if you don't want to do your whole field?

[Théière]

Open up your freezer, lamb is such a price in france. [6]