be herded by driving them from behind where they need  to go by blocking sideways means of escape (with people  or vehicles). Brood cows can be unpredictable, especially  during breeding, and are capable of damaging a truck. As  with horses, the sound of human voices may help calm cattle.  [Figure 7-15] Weather information is available on VHF radio. A balloon  pilot could obtain nearby weather reports by tuning to  the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS). The  appropriate frequency is listed on the cover of the sectional  chart and in the airport information block printed on the chart  near the appropriate airport. Balloonists must learn how to locate and identify animals on  the ground. Even though it may be legal to fly at a certain  low altitude, animals do not know the laws—nor do most of  their owners. If a pilot causes dogs to bark, turkeys to panic,  or horses to run, even while flying legally, it may provide  legitimate cause for complaint. Horses and ponies can be anywhere from the smallest  paddock and roughest fields to the largest pasture. Boarding  stables and breeding farms are easily identified by their  painted wooden fences, stacked bales of hay and straw, and  horse trailers. Assume all horses are valuable: race horses,  breeders, and those privately boarded. While horses generally  behave the same way when frightened, each one’s alarm level  differs. Anything from the glow of the back-up burner to the  balloon’s shadow can spook them. In a pasture, they may  buck, neigh, or even charge; in extreme cases, they might try  to jump the fence and may injure themselves. As horses are  accustomed to hearing human voices, talking to them may  help calm them down.  [Figure 7-14] Pigs are perhaps the most difficult livestock for farmers  to raise. Easily disturbed, it is best to avoid them at all  costs. When frightened, they bunch together and bolt, and  are virtually unstoppable, almost impossible to catch, and  potentially dangerous (especially boars). Pigs run until  they are exhausted; rounding them up can take days. Pork  prices fluctuate dramatically, and monetary claims against  a balloonist who upsets pigs can be quite high. Poultry (chickens and turkeys) are more often raised in  confinement buildings than free range. A long windowless  building with fans on the ends and atop the roof usually  indicates a poultry production facility. With the lights and  fans off, tens of thousands of birds can be amazingly quiet.  Any disruption of this tightly controlled environment,  however, can severely affect production. A sudden blast  of a balloon’s burner can start an all-out panic; birds trying  to flock in a confined space trample and crush each other,  leading to mass-scale suffocation. Ducks and geese raised  outside average about 200 birds per pen. When panicked, they  also tend to flock which can lead to injury and death.  Livestock will appear along a balloon’s flightpath, as well  as landing sites. Follow these livestock tips to minimize  disruptions during these encounters: Cattle need more space than horses, about one acre per cow.  Dairy cows tend to stay near the barn; corn near the pasture  and a muddy yard usually means milk production. If they  are out in more remote pastures, they are probably beef  producers. When startled, cattle usually bunch together to  face a threat but can just as easily panic and run. A stampede  can break down a fence or locked gate. Once out, cattle can  •  Always watch for signs of livestock: barns, sheds,  silos, fences, muck heaps, tractors, trailers, stacked  bales of straw and hay, and mudded areas all point to  some form of livestock nearby. 7-16 $_{Figure 7-14}$  Flight in areas of horse activity requires caution and  consideration. $_{Figure 7-15}$  While cattle in a field may appear undisturbed, they  can spook and stampede at the least provocation. Landowner Relations Identification of Animal Populations