Did you know that your cows are out? (Or sheep, or horses, or...)

[QRTRHRS]

One of my neighbors has a herd of bison...a while back a flooded stream washed out a section of fence...it seems they are an adventurous lot...several of them had wandered a few miles down the road before they were led home...

Lol! People had Buffalo about 1/2 of a mile over the hill behind me. During a dry spell the two bulls broke out and came calling. I have photos of them drinking out of a birdbath. I did not know the prople but knowing where they lived drove over to let them know. A daughter knew that the bulls were out and had called her dad whom was on his way home. I told her where i was. Dad shows up and having never had to round them up, was not sure. But with a bucket of grain managed to coax them home. My two stallions spent the next few days watching out for them.

 

[taem]

Happens all the time. My neighbor across the road has questionable fences and over stocks his cows. Naturally they are out as much as in. For a number of years, most cars stop at my place to let me know my cows are out, I think because my barn looks like one, and his looks like, well---sh*t. 99% of the time his are out and mine aren't . Sometimes I find them in my hay loft up the high drive. Wouldn't be such a problem, except that he works off the place and is seldom around, and his wife and son won't respond when I knock on the door to help round up his cattle. My son and I generally will collect his strays, because they are unsafe in the road, but it sure has gotten old. I often just ask "do the cattle have horns and no ear tags?" and if so, I direct them across the road.

 

[scootr]

Good fences make good neighbors

 

[tacticalturnip]

I recall when, when a child, our cows getting out a number of times. We appreciated it when people let us know; it's not like they let the cows out, and it's not like we can monitor every line of fence.

Of course most of the farms are long gone, but it was a fun memory. It seemed they always got out in the morning, or that is when folks noticed lol.

 

[dodge man]

I had a neighbor that is gone now that was always having his cows and pigs getting out, often in my backyard. I’m talking 3 or 4 times every year. I’ve had the police knocking on my door at night asking if they were mine. The problem is they are often on or near the rode, hitting a deer is bad, I imagine a cow could hurt or kill people more often.

 

[lman]

 

[Jstpssng]

Somebody had 7 highland cattle get out this past spring. For months there was a sign on the interstate warning to watch for cattle in the road... not a good thing with a 75mph speed zone. They also had a pen on the side of the interstate. One was recovered, one was hit by a car, I never heard what happened to the other 5. For some reason this summer there were people looking for their cattle in 3 different locations, and I don't believe they had much success.

 

[riptides]

There was a farm up the road where the cows got out. People ended up complaining to the county supervisor who said there was nothing the county could do. The same supervisor that was "dismissive" of the complaints then ran into a loose cow with his car a few weeks later. Different farm. The end result was more cow signs, lower speed limits and I guess a few visits from Animal control.

Karma!

 

[RSKY]

Speaking from experience, hitting a steer weighing 800+ pounds is not fun. Bent everything on the right side of a six month old 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass except the front door. Rounded a corner on a back road on a dark moonless night and the car jumped sideways. Didn't know what I had hit until I got out of the car. Angus steer and I never saw it until after the wreck.

High school friend of mine hit a large horse doing about 80 in a hotrod 1957 Chevy. The top was smashed down level with the hood and trunk on the passenger side over to a couple feet from the driver's door where his head was. He was unhurt. Engine was knocked loose. Wife (girlfriend at the time) and I walked a couple hundred feet down the road from where the car came to a stop and found one of the horse's large leg bones completely stripped of meat laying in the middle of the road. The next day his brother, who came to the wreck scene, realized that one of his horses was missing. It was around five miles from the home farm when hit.

If I see cattle or horses or anything else out I ALWAYS stop and tell or call if I know who they belong to. Could save a life or lives.

Dad and I spent two summers fencing the entire farm and we never had cattle get out. Don't know if it is true but back then I was told that if you hit a cow or pig and your vehicle was damaged it was the farmer's fault for letting it get out. If you hit a dog and your vehicle was damaged it was tough luck. At least in Kentucky.

RSKY

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

We see animals out...no big deal. Across the road a dairy farmer had fences made of bailing twine!
About 20 years ago another neighbor had beef Angus cattle and his bull got out. I had all garage doors open and it went in. I thought about all the cars and things getting torn up...but he was fine, didn't hurt a thing. I roped his neck then quickly wound it around a big maple tree. It was like me holding onto a 100 hp tractor! The owner had his trailer on the road and he went right in.

We had a big bull a while back. He didn't get out, but he'd load in a trailer just like a good horse. We'd loan him out and go back to get him, he'd get right in the trailer. He was no pet at all. He did have good transportation skills.