We have cattle located several miles away on summer pasture.  If a cow, maybe 2 get out, we get the numbers and if they are out again we go up there with the trailer and bring them home.  Found that to be the best solution.  This pasture has a new 5 wire tight barbed wire fence and plenty of food.  If a cow goes through that nothing is going to stop her.  However, we have had cows that will crawl a good barbed wire fence but won't even get close to an electric fence.  I would say we actually have less problems with a decent electric than we do with a great barbed wire fence.  But they have grown up around electric fence as they are behind electric fence all winter and during calving.  The secret to electric fence is to make sure it is hot-hot the first time experience it.  After that, I swear you could probably take the fence down and they wouldn't get out (not going to try that).  I think our neighbors problem was the fence was not hot when he put them in and once they figured out is was just a piece of wire that tickled them a bit and there was a candy store on the other side no electric fence will keep them in.  The previous tenant, an actual neighbor never ever had his cows out but I also know he knew electric fences because I buy my chargers from him (Stafix).

Fenced in state or fenced out state it simply makes no sense to me why the owner of the cattle should not be responsible for the fence if we do not use it and he should 100% liable for damages.  I have never had my corn or wheat go over into his land and hurt a cow.  So why should I be in the least responsible for either the fence or the liability??  

I will say, none of his cows have gotten out lately.  I know he has put on a new charger and done some work on it.  But we have registered heifers of a different breed we want to put across the road from his and the bull.  Really don't need our heifers bred to produce crossbreds.  So we have seperated them until he moves his cows.  Have to feed our heifers hay but fortunately we have plenty of hay this year.

Just very frustrating and expensive.  I had another neighbor whose 100 head got on my corn all night this year and ate the tops off about 50 acres of corn.  It was early enough it hopefully won't hurt yield too much.  He never even called so say sorry.  ANother neighbor told us about it.  Fortunately for him, I guess, hail caused more damage than the cows did.  I do know  he is a good neighbor and it is not common to see his cows out.  I was just pi$$ed he never even called.  Probably hoped I wouldn't notice and may not have until we went to spray the field.