Neighbor's cattle out in hay field?

[tom4018]

Really did not know which board to put this on, but here it goes.

One neighbor's cows keep getting out. Found them in my best hay field this evening, really messed up some nice clover. Looks to have been there 1-2 days by the amount of trampling damage and grazed area. This is a 2 or 3 time a year thing with this neighbor just happened right before this field needs to be cut and I feel it has hurt my yield. My daughter and myself ran them back over to his place and made a tem[p repair to what little fence he has, they traveled a couple hundred yards thru woods to my field.

Called him to let him know about it and told him I could not afford to loose the hay as it is short this year. His response was "Tell me about it", maybe I should have asked for something to compensate us, but wanted him to offer.

Am I being unreasonable? What would you do? Just gettin tired of his cattle coming over here and really could use all the hay I can get.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Tom,
A couple of time with a neighbors Cattle getting out can be labeled as acceptable, let's face it most of us have had Cattle get out.

If it becomes a common occurance, you cant just sit back and let him talk his way out of the damage that they've done to your Hay field. I'd go visit him face to face and get the fence problem solved, it's a matter of some folks lacking respect and just not caring it sounds like to me.If you own stock, it's your resposibility to maintain your fences-bottom line.

Let us know what the outcome is.

 

[Bez?]

Well, I had a similar incident last year.

Only it was my cows that got out. Someone actually rolled up about 1/2 mile of two stranded electric fence and took it while we were away.

He was good about it even though it was a crop of soybeans.

Insurance geve me a real hard time about it and did not pay.

I called the local crop insurance guy and had him come and take a look - fed him lunch and got him to estimate the damages. About 1300 bucks.

I ponied up the cash and gave it to the owner. He was actually quite surprized as once he got over being angry about the damage he had decided he did not want the money. I gave it to him anyways.

We are on even better terms now than ever before.

A good neighbour does not ignore things like this.

Perhaps your neighbour is not one of the good ones - so watch your fields a bit closer. You might run a single strand of hot wire "just in case".

Regards,

Bez?

 

[jw]

Build a small corral, buy a small cattle trailer, take 'em to the sale barn. That will cure the problem.

 

[backhoeboogie]

This goes back to fencing. Not only should you construct fences to hold critters in, you have to hold critters out.

Is your land fenced? Do you share a fence with this neighbor? If so, you are responsible for it. At least half of it.

 

[tom4018]

This goes back to fencing. Not only should you construct fences to hold critters in, you have to hold critters out.

Is your land fenced? Do you share a fence with this neighbor? If so, you are responsible for it. At least half of it.

This is no fence on the property line, they traveled thru a wooded area to get to my unfenced hay field.

Just aggravating that he is the only one in this area that any one has a problem with. Guess I just need to run a hot wire around my hayfield to keep them out. This guy just does not make an effort to fix his fences. Never even says thank you for putting his cattle up or helping him put them up.

 

[msscamp]

Am I being unreasonable? What would you do? Just gettin tired of his cattle coming over here and really could use all the hay I can get.

No, you're not being unreasonable. The first thing I would do is check out the laws regarding cattle and fencing - does your state require the owner to keep his cattle in or does it require you to keep his cattle out? That answer is going to determine your actions.

PS If his cattle are not hot wire trained, then it is not likely that a hot wire will keep them out of your field. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. :lol: :lol:

 

[backhoeboogie]

This is no fence on the property line, they traveled thru a wooded area to get to my unfenced hay field.

Not meaning to hit you with a hot poker or anything, but if I were you, I'd be protecting what's mine. If you had a garden and deer were eating up everything in it, who would you blame?

I am not sure what the laws are there. Caustic recently pointed out in a previous thread that the laws have changed here in Texas.

I've got a hay field on a river bottom. Cows from across the river are crossing over and eating up my neighbor's hay fields. They are also running my fences but they cannot access my field. Otherwise I'd be in the same boat as you.

 

[bigbull338]

there are some things you can do.you can pen the cows when they get on your hay medow.an then call your neighbor an tell him they are penned.then chatge him so much a hd damages/an not let him have them till he pays you.or you can build a fence to keep them out.either way itll cost you.

 

[warpaint]

In Tennessee the law says a perimeter fence belongs to both. Both owners are responsible for damage caused by their stock.

 

[backhoeboogie]

In Tennessee the law says a perimeter fence belongs to both. Both owners are responsible for damage caused by their stock.

Warpaint, if I understand this correctly, he doesn't have a fence around his property.

 

[warpaint]

In Tennessee the law says a perimeter fence belongs to both. Both owners are responsible for damage caused by their stock.

Warpaint, if I understand this correctly, he doesn't have a fence around his property.

OOPS, my bad!!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Build a small corral, buy a small cattle trailer, take 'em to the sale barn. That will cure the problem.

That would surely get you in jail. Rustling is rustling in Texas

 

[Alice]

Build a small corral, buy a small cattle trailer, take 'em to the sale barn. That will cure the problem.

That would surely get you in jail. Rustling is rustling in Texas

Bad as I hate to agree, yes it would. Took a little while, but I finally located the owner of a Corriente rodeo bull that was enjoying the sweet life with 60 Jersey heifers that we are keeping for a friend. I called the sheriff and he walked me thru the whole thing. Try to locate the owner...if I couldn't locate the owner, try to pen the bull and call the sheriff. They would then try to locate the owner. If they couldn't locate the owner, they would, at their expense, come get the bull and sell him at auction as a stray. No, we couldn't seel the bull ourselves, period, end of conversation. Would we get any money back for the feed he ate? Nope...sorry.

Fortunately, I called someone who raises rodeo bulls thinking it was his bull. Turns out he knew who it belonged to and called him in Minnesota (he's rodeoing there). Bless his heart, the owner got a friend of his to come get the bull the next day and will come by when he gets back to Texas to help rebuild the fence and pay for the bull's upkeep.

I love happy endings.

Alice

 

[tom4018]

Talking to this guy is like talking to a wall. He does not live on this farm, which makes it worse. Most farms around here don't have their woodlands fenced off, so if someones cattle get out they may get in a crop field. We may end up fencing this field off, might stockpile the grass and pasture it this fall. Without going to court looks like he won't give anything for damages. Really don't want to make matters worse, his dad owns this farm and I have throwed my name in the hat to buy it if he decides to sell. Guy is getting some age on him and his health ain't the best so maybe if the price is right one of these days.

 

[msscamp]

Without going to court looks like he won't give anything for damages.

If your state requires landholders to fence cattle OUT, you are not entitled to damages as there should have been a fence around your hayfield to ensure this situation did not occur.

 

[tom4018]

Some interesting links:
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/krs/256%2D00/080.pdf

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/krs/256%2D00/030.pdf

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/krs/256%2D00/010.pdf

 

[backhoeboogie]

Talking to this guy is like talking to a wall. He does not live on this farm, which makes it worse.

Tom, if he was pleasant to talk to, it doesn't negate the fact that he is being irresponsible to his commitments. Those cows could get injured, poisoned, hit by vehicles etc. If it were open range, he should hire someone to care for them if he cannot.

I waded the Brazos to take a look at the fence on the opposite side of the river. If the cows were coming thru a gap in the fence, I may have repaired it. I thought perhaps a tree had fallen. The guy has 3 strands of barbed wire and the old cedar posts it hangs on are pretty much gone. Flood debris is there from past years as well. Some of the posts were burned out from years ago. I surmised he had a few weeks work just on that fence line. So I waded back across the Brazos and left well enough alone.

It could be that you find the hole in this guys fence and fix it in a matter of minutes. That would buy you some time to fence your place.

 

[cowboyekt]

Am I being unreasonable? What would you do? Just gettin tired of his cattle coming over here and really could use all the hay I can get.

No, you're not being unreasonable. The first thing I would do is check out the laws regarding cattle and fencing - does your state require the owner to keep his cattle in or does it require you to keep his cattle out? That answer is going to determine your actions.

PS If his cattle are not hot wire trained, then it is not likely that a hot wire will keep them out of your field. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. :lol: :lol:

Hotwire training is simple. Run the hotwire and take some aluminum foil and wrap it around the wire the cows are curious and stick their noses to it. Problem solved and they will never run thru it unless you run them thru it and dang hard to do that.

 

[msscamp]

Am I being unreasonable? What would you do? Just gettin tired of his cattle coming over here and really could use all the hay I can get.

No, you're not being unreasonable. The first thing I would do is check out the laws regarding cattle and fencing - does your state require the owner to keep his cattle in or does it require you to keep his cattle out? That answer is going to determine your actions.

PS If his cattle are not hot wire trained, then it is not likely that a hot wire will keep them out of your field. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. :lol: :lol:

Hotwire training is simple. Run the hotwire and take some aluminum foil and wrap it around the wire the cows are curious and stick their noses to it. Problem solved and they will never run thru it unless you run them thru it and dang hard to do that.

I guess no one has told the cows around here that that is what they are supposed to do, because when they get bit they jump through the fence - we (and a lot of other people, as well) do our fence training in the corral. Broke tradition this past spring, and tried letting the 2 year old heifers out with the main (fence trained) herd - 2 or 3 at a time. A few of them never tried the fence, but a lot of them went right through it - repeatedly - and when that particular fence bites, it feels like a mule has kicked you in the chest, so it was hot enough. Put them back in the corral with a hotwire for about a week, and never had another problem with them. I also have to disagree that they will never , run through it because a good driving snowstorm will drive them through it every time. A lot of times, so will a hard rain with wind behind it.