Neighbor's Bull - HELP

[BJ]

Neighbor leases his pasture to a local cattleman and he runs about 40 head of cows and 1 bull. This is year #3 that come Sept the bull either jumps or crushes the fence and comes looking for my cows. My bull in confined alone in a pasture until December 1 when I turn him in with my 14 cows.

Last weekend I found the neighbors bull holding hostage one of my replacement heifers and 2 cows with week old calves. I'm sure he bred my heifer and she returned to the herd a day later. Now I've tried everything to get my 2 cows to bring their calve back to the heard. This bull will not let them come through the gate from one pasture to the other. I've run them up, down, over and around and non of them will go through the gate. My cows typically come for grain when I call them.....nope....won't leave the bull!

The bull owner isn't concerned and leaves it up to me to call with situation status. Currently I have my 4 replacement heifers locked in my very secure corral...but I know it is just a matter of time until the renegage bull comes looking for them. My worst fear is that he will crash the gate and get in with my young registered bull!!

Short of shooting the renegade bull.....I need some suggestions as to how to separate that bull from my cows. He stays right with them when I try to move them to another location. Yesterday he and one of my cows stood in creek water up to their shoulders....hiding from me!!

Suggestions are needed!

[Woodroe]

Personally, if the bulls owner refused to take care of the situation and said bull was harming my operation, I would take drastic measures.

[Trisha in WA]

Originally Posted by Woodroe

Personally, if the bulls owner refused to take care of the situation and said bull was harming my operation, I would take drastic measures.

I agree 100% By the way it sounds, your animals are in danger. If this were happening on my land, the bull would be shot. Of course I would let the owner of the bull know this and give him a very short amount of time (as in 24 hours or less) to remove the bull. Do not hesitate to protect your herd!

[oneokie]

Notify the sheriffs office that you have a nuisance animal on your property. The owner of the animal refuses to take care of the problem.

Then find you a couple of cowboys with horses, hire them to catch the bull and put him in one of your pens. Make sure there is feed and water in the pen. Get a reciept from the cowboys for their catching and penning the animal. Notify the owner of the animal that you have his bull caught and he has 24 hours to pay the charges and remove from your property. Then notify the sheriff that you have notified the owner to come get his animal.

ps, you may be able to charge the owner damages for his bull breeding your hefier.......

[oneokie]

Originally Posted by Trisha in WA

I agree 100% By the way it sounds, your animals are in danger. If this were happening on my land, the bull would be shot. Of course I would let the owner of the bull know this and give him a very short amount of time (as in 24 hours or less) to remove the bull. Do not hesitate to protect your herd!

Not a wise suggestion or thing to do. Opens one up to all kinds of liability.

You could be buying the bull at the owners price.................. YMMV

[Allen W]

The bull owner is responsable for his bull and any damages done. I would call the sherriff at this point and see what you can do to get the bull off your property.

[Trisha in WA]

Originally Posted by oneokie

Not a wise suggestion or thing to do. Opens one up to all kinds of liability.

You could be buying the bull at the owners price.................. YMMV

I guess that depends on where you live. Where I live, that is my right. If your animal is endangering mine, I have the right to use lethal force to stop it.
Yes, call the sheriff...that is what I did and found out my rights.

[ksfarmer]

Call the neighbor and tell him he can keep his bull home today, or his steer home tomorrow. Believe me, that will get his attention. BTDT.

[Ronney]

BJ, the owner of this bull is riding all over the top of you so stand up and be counted.

You've been given some good advice here and from I read your laws would appear to be similar to ours with regards to stock on your property. Get hold of your Sherriff, find out what the law is your State, County, whatever then act upon it. You can also get your cows induced and present the bull owner with the vet's bill.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[wr]

After you resolve the bull part of the problem, you're going to want to contact your vet to deal with the calves you're not going to want and you may want to forward a copy of the bill to the bull's owner.

[ozark_jewels]

Good advice. I agree, this has gone on way too long and obviously your neighbor isn't going to do anything unless you make a big deal of it.
I may be in your situation soon. Neighbor has zero fence(literally, some places it doesn't exist), we have good fence along that stretch. He just moved two *massive* Brahma bulls into the pasture across the road from our cycling dairy cows. If his bulls cross our fence and breed our dairy cows?? I'll be raising a really big stink.

[coup]

bribe all cows and the other bull into your secure lot//then remove all your stuff leaving the other bull in the secure lot. call the other guy and tell him to come get his bull.........tell him to keep the bull shut up untill he installs three more strands of barbwire......repeat as nescessary.

[agmantoo]

Entice the bull into your secure holding pen. Call whomever is in charge of animal control in your area and ask them what to do with the bull. They should call the owner to come get the bull and should inform you of what restitution you are entitled. When the owner comes to get the bull get the restitution before he loads the animal. Tell the owner if the bull returns you will again secure the animal but that you will send the bull to the sale and ask the owner for his address so that the salebarn can send the check to him.

[Farm 36]

On another site it was mentioned to just load the bull up send him to the local sale and then call the owner that is bull is at the sale and if he wants him to go and buy him back because the check is coming here. Bulls are the owner's resposibility and he is not holding up his bargin .

[Tana Mc]

As the owner of a very randy bull, I have been on both sides of this fence. My neighbor came and got his bull, apologised and penned him more securely. After that, I kept a better eye on my girls and tried to keep them pastured a bit further away when they were expected in heat. When my bull roamed, as soon as I caught him, I hauled him to the sale barn.
Here in cattle country, we are all a bit more understanding about the fact that bulls will be bulls.
In your situation, it gets a bit trickier...... if the neighbor just refuses to deal with it, call the sheriff one time.
Next time, haul him to the sale barn. Myself, I'd have the check sent to the owner.......
Seems a shame that you two can't come to an agreement. I have new neighbors bordering my rented cow pasture. They have 2 cows. I stopped by as soon as I saw them and asked if they would like to "use" my bull. Two cows in heat on the other side of a barb wire fence is going to be waaaay too much temptation for my guy. A barb wire fence isn't much more than a bluff for bovine romance. They were agreable and we plan to fix a gate. Anyway that you guys can work out an arrangement to share a bull?
If they had not been open to the idea, I would probably be installing a hot wire.....

Tana Mc

[copperhead46]

Really, pen the bull, and call the sheriff. You have legal rights !! If you don't want to get into it with the bulls owner, tell him first that you are going to have to call the sheriff the next time, that he will be liable for your heifers, any vet bills, and the cost of unwanted calves. Then, stick to your guns.
P.J.

[haypoint]

You have legal rights. But they aren't worth a darn, if the sheriff doesn't want to do anything about it. The sheriff and County Prosicutor set the tone for what gets delt with and what gets dismissed.

With the intent to get along in the neighborhood, talk to the bull owner. Waiting a few days for him to get the bull out was fine the first time it happened three years ago. You should expect quick action. Then see what the sheriff is willing to do. Call the County Prosicutor and see what he thinks is reasonable. Let the local law enforsement be your guide. If they say that you have every right to protect your livestock, follow that direction.

If I could, I'd get the bull into my barn, securely penned up. When the neighbor begins to look for his bull, ask him if there is a reward for finding him. If not, just run him through a livestock sale.

[oldcj5guy]

If you shoot him you are defending your property, if you load him up or hide him you are a thief.

Had that explained to me over a dead quarter horse stallion a couple of years ago after I shot him and took him hom ewith a backhoe

[freedomfrom4]

My dad had 3 dead calves and 1 dead cow after the nieghbors bull bred his cows last year. He had a bull set up to come over that would have thrown smaller calves but this bull visited and bred everybody before the other one could be brought here. Hope it isn't as bad for you.

[oneokie]

For the OP:

http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/fence/mo_fnc.htm

More good information:

http://aglaw.missouri.edu/fencelaw_new.htm