Neighbor's cattle in yard

[MHarryE]

I am a township supervisor. We have a complaint from a resident whose yard keeps getting messed up by cattle from the beef farm across the road. We're not talking about a large farmer, about 20 beef cows and their calves. I've checked his fences and from what I can see without going on his property, they are very good meeting fence guidelines. That the cattle get out is no question. The resident complaining has called the county sheriff about it. The deputy who visited agreed, cattle from the neighbor, but there is nothing the sheriff's department can do about it. A little more about this farmer - he is in his upper 50s and lost his main job as an equipment operator due to a DUI. Last planting season, I was driving down the county road past his place and saw him lying in the middle of the road arms and legs flailing. His tractor was in the ditch alongside. I stopped to go help and he told me he was okay, go on. He had a 12 pack of beer in one had and a single can in the other, had fallen off the tractor which stalled in the ditch, and was trying to get up. Needless to say he has a bad drinking problem. My suspicion is he forgets to close gates when he feeds his cattle. The cattle go out across the road where although mid-winter, we still have no snow and the standing second crop is much better than the hay this cattleman is trying to feed them. Has anyone run into something like this before? The home owner (who also owns the hayfields around her house) has talked to the owners wife several times and has been told that that's the way it is. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

[ArlyA]

Just following. Many in my family own cattle.

 

[scootr]

It sounds like the complainer needs better fences ?
I know it should not be her responsibility but some strong barbed wire fencing might be the best defence.

 

[4570Man]

It sounds like the complainer needs better fences ?
I know it should not be her responsibility but some strong barbed wire fencing might be the best defence.

You shouldn’t have to spend money to keep someone else’s livestock off your land. Fencing isn’t cheap either. You could easily be proposing a 5 figure suggestion. Not to mention that the cows could get hit on the road and cause an accident. If it was dogs running loose the suggestion would probably be a small dose of lead poisoning.

 

[newbury]

One shouldn't need to fence their land to prevent cattle trespassing if it is not open range territory.
Had an uncle (RIP) who was having problems with a big loose Texas Longhorn. The was in NE Mississippi about 2016. Got about 900lbs of meat from it.
SHB
Shoot, haul, barbecue

 

[old and tired]

I live in a "Fence-Out" county... as strange as it sounds, If I don't want cattle on my land, I need to fix his fence. Which I have done and need to expand the repairs further down his fence line.

I have warned him that next time, I'm buying a larger freezer.

 

[deserteagle71]

You shouldn’t have to spend money to keep someone else’s livestock off your land.

Depends on where you live. Here in Nevada the law states that if you want to keep livestock off your property then YOU need to put up a fence. One of the first things I had to do when I bought my place because I had cattle all around. Other people have problems with the "wild" horses:

 

[Rockbadchild]

a good old lasso if its on your propriety its yours lol .... once he lose his cows he might smart up.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Cows will get out no matter how good the fences are. I get them occasionally in my back yard from the neighbor, I just text them their cows are out, or I try to chase them in if I can by my self.

 

[sea2summit]

Is there an animal nuisance regulation in your township our county? If not then it's likely going to be a civil matter between the two land owners. Not sure who would be in the right if the offended parter called some other local cowhand to come get cows off their property.

 

[sea2summit]

Cows will get out no matter how good the fences are. I get them occasionally in my back yard from the neighbor, I just text them their cows are out, or I try to chase them in if I can by my self.

Agree, cows do get out and that wouldn't be an issue in my mind. But if every morning cows are eating my lawn I'd probably get upset.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

a good old lasso if its on your propriety its yours lol .... once he loose his cows he might smart up.

I will be interested to see if that is true. I am sure it changes location to location.

 

[scootr]

Bunch of beef cattle got loose - came down the road checking out everybody's place. Neighbor lady was furious with the damage done to flower beds and lawn. I said it didn't bother me none. What? Why not? she asked... fence, I said.

 

[jmc]

Maybe the Sheriff has authority to ask him about liability insurance? Then the insurance company could apply some pressure.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

When I moved to this place I had no idea how much work it was to not have cows.

Can't really blame the cows though, as the neighbors property was neglected and severely over grazed, and I have nice grass.

Not even a really good fence always worked. Eventually solved that problem by buying the land from the neighbor. But we still get the occasional visitors from farther away that wander down the road and then decides to stop in.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

In 1980 I moved here, dairy farm across road and beef farm around me. Midnight I see movement around house so call Beef farmer who says "are they black or & white"? His were beef Angus, dairy was Holstein so I called him. His fences were patched with baleing twine and always getting out. I helped him get them back and patched my yard. We had lots of flies and rough two years but he got out of dairy business. All was well, I knew what I was buying & they were here first.
Another neighbor's bull got out and I roped it! It was like trying to hold onto an Army tank!

 

[bigtiller]

I had the same problem with my neighbor a while back. I think his cows ate more of my corn than their own.

I decided not to confront him and just drive slow past his place incase there was a cow standing in the road.

With everyone having phones now, I bet the sheriff knows all about the problem and probably is making a list and checking it twice.

 

[Torvy]

I live in a "Fence-Out" county... as strange as it sounds, If I don't want cattle on my land, I need to fix his fence. Which I have done and need to expand the repairs further down his fence line.

I have warned him that next time, I'm buying a larger freezer.

Same here. The default law in Texas is open range. Counties can opt for closed. Ours has not. No big deal if you know the law. We will fence our property over the coming months. We get visits from cattle nearby on occasion. They tend to take our driveway and paths. Not much for them to destroy yet. Fence first, then planting and such.

 

[dodge man]

I think in Illinois it’s on the landowner to keep his livestock in. We have lived here 26 years and for 20 of those years I had cattle in my yard at least once a year if not more. The police had knocked on my door more than once in the middle of the night asking if the cows were mine. Driving by his place they would often be out in the roadside ditch. The new land owner is much better and his cows have gotten out once in 6 years.

what to do about it? I’d say it’s going to take someone in authority to make it stop. In my case if the cows are in my yard they can end up in the road which is a traffic hazard. Maybe the sheriff can right a ticket for traffic hazard?

 

[Too many Kubotas]

One problem here, in a fence-out state, but a fence-in county, is that nobody is interested in any enforcement.