Need some neighborly advice...

[milkmaid]

I was gone for the summer, and had a couple of my yearling heifers cross the fence and they've been hanging out at the neighbor's place. There's three over there right now, and Mom brought them back once, but they promptly went right back over the fence again. Now that I'm home, I'll deal with them (tomorrow morning's project), but I need some advice on what to do for my neighbor.

He had some cows running on that pasture too, and the grass was long; he said he didn't care if my heifers were out there too, since he knew my folks weren't savvy enough to deal with the escapees... but I can't imagine it was 100% a-okay with him. They've been hanging out at his barn, and I'm pretty sure he's graining his heifers up there. I strongly suspect he won't take money...

Thoughts? comments? suggestions? I want to make sure our neighborly relationship is good; what do I need to do?

 

[msscamp]

I believe I would get a gift certificate - in whatever amount I deemed appropriate for the situation - for a good steak house in the area and give it to him with a simple thank you. Better yet, put the gift certificate in his mail box with a card that says thank you - he will know it's a done deal and can't be redeemed!

 

[Limomike]

Or go get him some feed for his heifers...

 

[Jogeephus]

I like to give neighbors something with a personal touch. Homemade jams, jellies, syrup, homegrown meats, deer salami are all standbys at the house for things such as this.

 

[dieselbeef]

try to make sure that he actually wasnt put out...get him somethin like a gerbertool or a bucktool. something he can carry with him useful maybe

 

[alabama]

Take him a fresh baked pie or a cake or somthing like that. A sack of maters or sweet corn is always good too.

 

[MikeC]

If I were him I would accept a bottle of Makers Mark. :lol:

 

[bigbull338]

I believe I would get a gift certificate - in whatever amount I deemed appropriate for the situation - for a good steak house in the area and give it to him with a simple thank you. Better yet, put the gift certificate in his mail box with a card that says thank you - he will know it's a done deal and can't be redeemed!

just what i was thinking.that or id take him out to supper.i bet he wont take money.

 

[Just Curious]

I personally would not "offer" him anything... I would just do it.
There were a lot of good suggestions... Since I like the "Work for Food" thing, a gift certificate or especially home-made items would be a great touch and would work well for me...
Feed and tools, while also a nice choice, can sometimes be a more of a personal nature. But if someone were to give me a Gerber tool, I would find a pocket to put it in!!!

 

[Gate Opener]

If you could catch him gone, you could call his wife and ask if you could drop something off for him. Then take him however many bags of feed you think might be fair and leave them. That way they are already there and he can't refuse them.

 

[mnmtranching]

I would offer money, but not push to hard.

The good ol buy next door knows cattle get out and it might be his next time.

If he feels put out some by feeding your calves he'll take the money and all will be happy.

If he refuses the money, he's happy anyway.

And for sure fix the fence, he'd appreciate that.

 

[steerhorn]

All good ideas, but you don't want to start something you can't stop. What happens the next time it happens, what do you give then? And what would justify a larger gift verses a smaller one?
How do you measure?
I'd offer to pay for feed, etc., which you know he won't take, but then watch, and catch him working on a project, maybe building a shed, hauling manure, something like that and offer to help. Don't offer, insist.
I know if it were me, (the nieghbor) that's what I'd like.
I've put my neighbors cows back in a few times when they'd gotten out, with not even a "thank you" in return. I mean, I wasn't expecting anything, but what ever happened to just helping a neighbor out once in awhile. But it shouldn't be one-sided.

If you've got good neighbors, you're lucky, let them know you appreicate them!

 

[I luv herfrds]

You can offer to pay for the feed, but if he doesn't accept a nice homemade item like a pie, cake, cinnamon rolls always works good and a Thank You card is a nice touch.
I know cinnamon rolls always go big with people. Nice to have with coffe in the morning.

 

[Beefy]

get him some feed and make the guy a cheesecake. take a long some sweet tea and if youre lucky he might ask you to have some cheesecake.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

When a friend of mine watches the place and tends to the animals while we are away I have the feedstore deliver him a load of cubes when we get home. He knows where they came from but I never have admitted it. ;-)

 

[milkmaid]

I picked them up this afternoon... thinkin' I'll give him a gift certificate to the fancy resturant in town. No idea what type of feed he uses or where it comes from, and I'm not that great at cooking, so I think the gift certificate's probably safest. :lol:

Thanks for the ideas, y'all.

 

[GMN]

I was gone for the summer, and had a couple of my yearling heifers cross the fence and they've been hanging out at the neighbor's place. There's three over there right now, and Mom brought them back once, but they promptly went right back over the fence again. Now that I'm home, I'll deal with them (tomorrow morning's project), but I need some advice on what to do for my neighbor.

He had some cows running on that pasture too, and the grass was long; he said he didn't care if my heifers were out there too, since he knew my folks weren't savvy enough to deal with the escapees... but I can't imagine it was 100% a-okay with him. They've been hanging out at his barn, and I'm pretty sure he's graining his heifers up there. I strongly suspect he won't take money...

Thoughts? comments? suggestions? I want to make sure our neighborly relationship is good; what do I need to do?

I definetely would not offer him money, next time he is in a jam, or just because.. help him out with something, fixing fence, helping with field work, etc...

Gail

 

[aplusmnt]

We recently got a nice hand written thank you card telling us they appreciate us being good neighbors from a neighbor for a situation we helped out in. That meant a lot! Just knowing you appreciate them will carry a lot of weight!

 

[TexasBred]

Fix your fence, move your heifers and then take him a gift certificate with a great big "thank you".