We have a grazing association in the village using our pasture rights on the 7 local commons (I'm allowed 20 sheep. 4 ponies and 4 cattle) we fatten sheep and cattle, managed mostly by one bloke we all help out moving them or treating them as required and get very tasty meat at a substantial discount to supermarket prices. 

At the weekend 7 cattle broke out and ended up a mile away, I've spent most of the last 2 days searching for cattle, chasing them across the countryside and being amazed at what athletes they are. When you see a long line of docile milkers crossing the road to the parlour you have a totally false impression of what cows are like, the steers are wild animals. They are like heavy deer, they can run a lot quicker than me and disappear out of site in a trice, the only fences they respect are electric or the sturdiest high barbed wire, everything else is largely ignored as they half-jump and half crash through into the next field. They are not hard to track but they are unpredictable and only their crazed fear of humans stops them being dangerous although it is a tad unnerving when 24 heavy hooves are stampeding towards you only to turn at rightangles a few feet in front of you through yet another hedge and disappear across yet another field to hide in another bramble thicket. 

I've covered a few cross country miles and learned a lot about cows in the last 2 days. And my feet hurt. The owner of the cows has several insurance claims for fences and trampled crops to sort out.

Largely by luck 6 of the 7 cows are back on the common, not a clue where the other one is.

All in all I prefer sheep, better still, fish!

Puggy...better to keep your preference for sheep to yourself