Neighbors cows in my yard

KGarner · Sep 8, 2011

I just recently bought a house with an acre and a half, it is surrounded by pasture. The guy that owns the cows, owns the land on one side and leases the land on the other, on the side he owns the fences are in really good condition, the side he leases not so good. I knew that I could occasionally have one get in my yard, but before I moved in I went through the trouble of installing an underground fence to keep my dogs out of his pasture. About a month ago a calf got into my yard and died, the dogs didn't bother it, when I finally got him (the owner) over there I talked to him about the fences, and he said he wasnt going to fix them because that is not his property. What should I do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Every day this week I've had cows in my yard, not one or two, more like five or six or ten.

boneboy96 · Sep 8, 2011

I know this is the on-topic forum and I don't know the legality of livestock on your property, but I would invest in a large freezer. Did the owner at least remove the calf?

dwhee87 · Sep 8, 2011

Unplug the invisible fence.

KGarner · Sep 8, 2011

Yeah, he just hauled the calf to the back side of his pasture.

SarahFair · Sep 8, 2011

It might make a stink with your neighbor but you can either call the animal shelter and fill out a report everytime or call the sheriffs office and file reports.
They will fine him after they give him a warning.

Reel Big-uns · Sep 8, 2011

If you want to keep this simple and legal then call the 911 dispatch and report the cows being out and is subject to wander out onto the road and cause an accident and it will not take the law enforcement long to get tired of this on going problem and they will take care of it for you.

KGarner · Sep 8, 2011

I want to do it without causing a stink if at all possible, I think he's not feeding them, cause I have a burn pit in the backyard and Monday there were six cows around it eating wet card board boxes. My house is a good ways off the road, some one suggested to run them out my gate cowards the road and let law enforcement take care of it, but thats not really the way I would like to handle it.

safebuilder · Sep 8, 2011

I would try and get the land owner to fix the fence if the lease holder will not. Good fences make good neighbors....I would only use leo as a last resort. Ga does have a criminal code for cows getting out(they dont have enough to do under the gold dome)

SarahFair · Sep 8, 2011

KGarner said:
I want to do it without causing a stink if at all possible, I think he's not feeding them, cause I have a burn pit in the backyard and Monday there were six cows around it eating wet card board boxes. My house is a good ways off the road, some one suggested to run them out my gate cowards the road and let law enforcement take care of it, but thats not really the way I would like to handle it.

That may be true with the drought we are in. Hay is low and prices are up..
But if a cow is anything like a goat, they will put their mouths on anything to try something once (or 5x

)

Reel Big-uns · Sep 8, 2011

KGarner said:
Yeah, he just hauled the calf to the back side of his pasture.

If he did not bury it then not only can the local law but the Ga. Dept. of Agriculture can get his attention ::ke:

, also.

Remind the land owner ::ke:

if a cow gets out due to his negligence of not maintaining the fence and they make it out to the road then he may find himself as a joint, co-defendant in a liable lawsuit :hammers:

because it got hit by a vehicle and caused personal injury and/or death.

jmfauver · Sep 9, 2011

If you really don't want to make a big stink.

If the fence posts are in decent shape but there are gaps in the wire fencing, put up new barbed wire and leave it alone...

skiff23 · Sep 9, 2011

jmfauver said:
If you really don't want to make a big stink.

If the fence posts are in decent shape but there are gaps in the wire fencing, put up new barbed wire and leave it alone...

Dont do that. It is not your fence or cows. Have another descussion withthe livestock owner, if to no avail , shoot the cows. Then call him back. Sorry , but he is responsable for the cows and the law is in your favor. I actually had a majestrate judge tell me this. I had the same prob;em and the owner refused and made comments that I could not do anything,that is when the judge gave me that advise. But you can not do anything with the cows once they are dead, he has to remove them or the law will and charge him for it.

CAL · Sep 9, 2011

SarahFair said:
It might make a stink with your neighbor but you can either call the animal shelter and fill out a report everytime or call the sheriffs office and file reports.
They will fine him after they give him a warning.

Exactly what I would do.The cows are his and his responsibility not yours.Anyway,the cows eating out of your burn pile could very easily get to something poison.If so I bet the owner would try to hold you responsible for the deaths.The owner is an idiot as he leased the pasture and everything good and bad went with it.The fence is his responsibility.Let him see you are not going to be run over and the problem will stop.

Years ago,I had the same problem with the neighbors cows eating in my crop.Every morning his cows were in my crop eating and destroying.I called the Sheriff and told him under no conditions was this going to continue.I had discussed this with the neighbor several times to no avail.He needed to fix his fence.I ask the Sheriff to please relay the message to the neighbor that the next time I saw his cows in my crop,I would shoot them where they stood.The neighbor corrected the problem and the cows stayed off me.Cows are a creature of habit and they will continue to get on you .Do nothing and you will see I am correct.Just telling you what worked out for me is all.

SarahFair · Sep 9, 2011

TheReelMe said:
If he did not bury it then not only can the local law but the Ga. Dept. of Agriculture can get his attention, also.

Remind the land owner if a cow gets out due to his negligence of not maintaining the fence and they make it out to the road then he may find himself as a joint, co-defendant in a liable lawsuit because it got hit by a vehicle and caused personal injury and/or death.

I know this is a little off topic but we hit a cow once right infront of a guys place.
Only cows around for MILES. Filed a police report and everything..
When approached by the police that night all the guy had to say to get out of it was "what cow? that aint my cow" and he was off the hook.
Body was gone before daylight the next day.

I agree with getting new barb wire if you want to keep a good relationship.
Ive seen some good deals for rolls on CL.
It may be a financial and physical burden but sometimes that is better than having a neighbor with bad blood.

T.P. · Sep 9, 2011

Call him every night at midnight to tell him his cows are out.

Dog Hunter · Sep 9, 2011

Talk to land owner, he may be willing to spilt cost of new fence. Not sure what kind of dogs you have, but that may help with them. Just keep in mind, underground fences fail, don't do anything that could be turned around on you. ie, Sheriff, them dogs were chasing my calves.

Dog Hunter · Sep 9, 2011

And by no means am I saying he would or should shot your dogs if they are in the pasture.

shakey gizzard · Sep 9, 2011

Moooove!

radams1228 · Sep 9, 2011

jmfauver said:
If you really don't want to make a big stink.

If the fence posts are in decent shape but there are gaps in the wire fencing, put up new barbed wire and leave it alone...

X2......and as someone else said, cows are creatures of habit and will continue to get into your yard.

The question that I think you should ask yourself....."is this about the cows or about MY yard???" For me, it would be about my yard. Not wanting all the grass torn up, chewed up and huge piles of cow chips all over the place. Personally, I would take some time and work on the fence myself. You have two land owners that you could potentially have problems with, or try to get along with. Then, if the problem persists, talk to the Sheriff and follow some course of legal action.

On another note, I knew someone that had a problem just like this. After calling the Sheriff a number of times and the owner of the cows not doing a thing about it, he called the local livestock barn and had them come pick up the cows when they were in his yard. Not sure what the final outcome was, but I'm sure it got the cow owners attention. :smash:

gacowboy · Sep 9, 2011

Dog Hunter said:
Talk to land owner, he may be willing to spilt cost of new fence. Not sure what kind of dogs you have, but that may help with them. Just keep in mind, underground fences fail, don't do anything that could be turned around on you. ie, Sheriff, them dogs were chasing my calves.

x 2
Offer to help the landowner and your neighbor in improving the fence . It will benefit you too by keeping your dogs in your yard. If you try to offer to help and resolve the problem but it does not work, then call get a catch pen and call the sale barn. I believe the neighbor will work with you.

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