Cow Awareness Podcast

By Helen Milton, Health Walks Coordinator for Derbyshire Dales District Council

I’ve had several walkers and walk leaders ask serious questions about walking through cows and so I went to talk to my friend and neighbour Henry Holland who farms beef suckler cows and has been around cows all his life. Sit down with a cup of tea and have a listen to my cow podcast – it’s about 25 minutes but he’s really easy to listen to – I hope you enjoy it.

Fresian Cow looking closely at the camera with the caption — (Jean Carlo-Emer)

Main Messages:

1- Be wary but not scared of cows

2 - If you have a dog your chances of upsetting the cows rises dramatically

Cows in a field overlooking the English countryside — (Jakob Cotton)

3 - Always try and go around the cows, not through the middle

4 - Dairy cows (black and white or brown and white) are fairly placid

5 - Beef cows (fields of different brown cows) are more skittish – especially young ones

6 - Cows with calves will always be more protective and worried

7 - Watch the cows all the time for a change in their level of interest in you

8 - Think twice about going through cows if they are grouped around the stile

Things not in the podcast but were talked about:

1 - If a cow stamps at the ground with one hoof and looks up and at you then consider your nearest exit and take it carefully – remembering to make yourself large and loud if it comes towards you

2 - If a cow makes a huff huff huffing noise – the same applies

I hope you find this helpful, I know I did!

helen.milton@derbyshiredales.gov.uk
www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/healthwalks