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stuck, your problem is with the landlord and the only "win" would be for you to move. Anything you do could motivate the landlord to raise your rent and force you out. However, if the livestock is not being fed enough, you have a responsibility of reporting that to animal control or the sheriff. 30 or 40 head of cattle on that small a grazing area absolutely requires that they buy and bring in hay. Rule of thumb on cattle is one unit per 2 acres minimum if there is no additional feed. Repeated mistreatment of animals can land a farmer in jail.
Did you read in the original post that the cows are kept on a 300 acre property that adjoins the 10 acres of the OP?
At that, without knowing where this place is located, it's a guess as to your "Rule of thumb" of acreage per cow. Got friends in FL where 30 head per acre isn't unusual. Around my place, 1 head per 120 acres wouldn't be unusual. It's a very wide range, and totally dependent upon local conditions.
Tough to tell at this point if the cows are being underfed and seeking food and/or companionship out of their pastures. We've got one of the most lush years in decades right now at our place and two of our cows are persisting in leaving our very abundant pastures with live water, trees, shelter belts, and only three of them on 100 acres which could support 40 more head at this time. The pair keep heading over to a neighbor's pasture to "buddy up" with their 6 horses on 40 acres, or buddy up with another neighbor's 30 head on a half-section. Been having to round them up almost every day and keep fixing fences which they crash through ... and they're "legal" 5-strand barb-wire fences.
I'm no bovine psychologist, and I've long since given up trying to analyze why cows move around as they do. We can give ours the best in care, abundant free choice of high quality food, mineral licks, shelter opportunities, freedom from predators ... and they'll still wander to the adjacent properties. One steer, now hamburger, used to "jump" all the fences in the area just wandering around. Last time we loaded him onto a trailer, he'd jumped 8 fences and traveled several miles before a neighbor called to let us know he was in their sheep pasture (1 section of land) and still heading south. That steer got loaded up one last time in the trailer and went directly to the sale barn. He had no reason to wander and leave our place when it came to creature comforts and food, but he did. Just a wanderin' kind of guy, I guess. And I've helped neighbors round up their similar cattle from our place, too, even when the pastures they were on had plenty of great grazing palatable native grasses ... the type of stuff where you can look at the pasture and think of how many pounds per day the cows will gain on it.
Even though this was a dead thread that got resurrected, it's been an interesting read. Especially around perceptions of what's OK and what's not. You've got your open range laws, and fence laws which come first and foremost. Animals get out sometimes, it's just the nature of the beast. But owners who consistently just allow their animals to get out AND stay out are another thing altogether. I just don't get the people that say "oh, that's just part of living in the country" and you are a city slicker who doesn't understand things... It's not that. It's a lazy, jerk of a neighbor. Plain and simple.
And to provide context to my background, so I don't get accused of being a city slicker, my family has farmed in the same area for 100+ years. We have about 200 cow/calf pairs, and I spent many a summer day chasing cows down that had gotten loose. The difference is that we went and got them as soon as we heard they were out, and spent the time to fix the fence. We had a few chronic high spirited fence jumpers, their temperament always earned them a trip on the cull truck in the fall. They were flighty, and they had flighty calves. We didn't want that temperament in our herd.
To get back on topic, we had a neighbor who always let his cows get out and stay out in our crops. Calls didn't do anything, similar to the OP's situation. And the section of fence they got out on was his. We started turning in claims on his insurance for property damage. Two paid claims later, he built a shiny new fence and those cows have never gotten out again. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Might be a route for the OP to consider.
Did you read in the original post that the cows are kept on a 300 acre property that adjoins the 10 acres of the OP?
At that, without knowing where this place is located, it's a guess as to your "Rule of thumb" of acreage per cow. Got friends in FL where 30 head per acre isn't unusual. Around my place, 1 head per 120 acres wouldn't be unusual. It's a very wide range, and totally dependent upon local conditions.
Tough to tell at this point if the cows are being underfed and seeking food and/or companionship out of their pastures. We've got one of the most lush years in decades right now at our place and two of our cows are persisting in leaving our very abundant pastures with live water, trees, shelter belts, and only three of them on 100 acres which could support 40 more head at this time. The pair keep heading over to a neighbor's pasture to "buddy up" with their 6 horses on 40 acres, or buddy up with another neighbor's 30 head on a half-section. Been having to round them up almost every day and keep fixing fences which they crash through ... and they're "legal" 5-strand barb-wire fences.
I'm no bovine psychologist, and I've long since given up trying to analyze why cows move around as they do. We can give ours the best in care, abundant free choice of high quality food, mineral licks, shelter opportunities, freedom from predators ... and they'll still wander to the adjacent properties. One steer, now hamburger, used to "jump" all the fences in the area just wandering around. Last time we loaded him onto a trailer, he'd jumped 8 fences and traveled several miles before a neighbor called to let us know he was in their sheep pasture (1 section of land) and still heading south. That steer got loaded up one last time in the trailer and went directly to the sale barn. He had no reason to wander and leave our place when it came to creature comforts and food, but he did. Just a wanderin' kind of guy, I guess. And I've helped neighbors round up their similar cattle from our place, too, even when the pastures they were on had plenty of great grazing palatable native grasses ... the type of stuff where you can look at the pasture and think of how many pounds per day the cows will gain on it.
I'll admit that the first two paragraphs of this post irritate me. They do so because you are being emphatic and essentially calling me uneducated, while it is you that hasn't comprehended what was being said.
In point of fact, I was NOT responding to the original post (which would be stupid, given the age of it) but to post #67 by stuckinthemiddlewitU - hence my starting out my post with "stuck, your problem is with the landlord and the only "win" would be for you to move." In your desire to be the knowledgeable one, you jumped to a conclusion that was completely ridiculous.
Secondly, my comment on feeding "Rule of thumb on cattle is one unit per 2 acres minimum if there is no additional feed." stands. Your "Got friends in FL where 30 head per acre isn't unusual." is complete bull manure. I lived in Florida for over twenty years, traveled the state up and down and sideways many times.
The area of an acre can be contained in a square 209' x 209' - smaller than a football field by over 14,000 square feet - or the size of two or three average suburban home lots. If you put 30 head of cattle in an area that small, the first thing that will happen is they will eat and crush the forbs. Then they will starve without additional food being brought in - which makes it a feed lot. A lot of Florida might be able to support 30 head per hundred acres. The cattle ranches west of Southbay looked to be maybe that density. I do agree that the rule of thumb is not for arid land, and anticipates decent pasture as is seen in much of the eastern half of the U.S.
I have no qualms with the rest of your post, but seriously suggest that you spend some time trying to understand what has been said before pounding on the keyboard.
To those telling the OP that this is just rural life etc, Id encourage you to check into your local laws. In any normal facet of the law if your assets leave your property and cause damage to anothers then YOU are liable. I dont care if its your dog, your kids, a structure you built, whatever. You have a responsibility to contain your livestock. If you cant afford to contain it then you need to reconsider your ownership.
As others have said welcome to the country. Here if you want to keep cattle out it's up to YOU to fence your land. Anyway, I would suggest a hot wire. Work with the rancher. Cattle are expensive and he sure don't want to loose any.
To those telling the OP that this is just rural life etc, Id encourage you to check into your local laws. In any normal facet of the law if your assets leave your property and cause damage to anothers then YOU are liable. I dont care if its your dog, your kids, a structure you built, whatever. You have a responsibility to contain your livestock. If you cant afford to contain it then you need to reconsider your ownership.
Not necessarily. Many western states including my own have open range laws which state that it is the property owner's duty to fence unwanted livestock OUT. Ranchers have obligations as well under these laws, but cannot automatically be held responsible for property damage caused by their livestock.
I concur on the hotwire. My main pasture is 5 acres and is surrounded by a single one atop the regular no climb fence. Nobody gets out, or in.
To those telling the OP that this is just rural life etc, Id encourage you to check into your local laws. In any normal facet of the law if your assets leave your property and cause damage to anothers then YOU are liable. I dont care if its your dog, your kids, a structure you built, whatever. You have a responsibility to contain your livestock. If you cant afford to contain it then you need to reconsider your ownership.
I dunno if this is really true anywhere, open range or not. Even places that aren't open range (like Oklahoma) you still have a shared responsibility with neighbors to maintain a fence regardless of your situation. You are required to pay half of the building and maintenance costs of fences. If you refuse to pay half then they can legally sue you for the amount. Its a shared responsibility regardless of who owns what livestock. And unless you can show some kind of negligence on the livestock owners part, your not going to be getting any damages for them finding their way onto your property. Thats the local law here and in many states.
If a neighbor's critter wanders on to my property and stays there for a day or so can I claim it as mine?
no.
Most places require you to publish a public notice and wait 30 days or so depending on the state.
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