A different tack on sheep tack?

[JD-Kid]

few guys do here to help cover cost even leave them out grazeing till after lambing so not as bigger check on them .. we mate our tops did not for frist few years here but do now

we find hoggets kept here tend to be getter grazers as use to the farm and move to find feed Vs waiting at gate for it to be opened
also lower risk of importing any probs restance worms etc etc ,

 

[M-J-G]

Not according to him nice income and cleans up ground they're farm would not be a winter cattle grazing farm

I agree nothing makes grass tiller and subsequently yield like a sheep grazing. You wont have seen a dense crop of silage if you haven't cut silage for a sheep man.

 

[outofthefryingpan]

So how much is sheep tack then (probably mayor differences across the country I know)

I only ask as the neighbouring sheep farm moves his sheep onto our grass around end of October takes them away to lamb them and brings quite a lot back - then and most gone by middle of May!!! I have often thought that my father could be taken for a ride here as their stay has got longer and longer as the years have gone by - and after baling some of the silage ground yesterday and getting 4 bales an acres I am a little irritated - think he pays 40p a week

does this sound good or bad???! (as I have not got a clue!)

 

[Poorbuthappy]

40p a week would be about average for Devon. (Speaking for N & mid) BUT, most dairy farms would want sheep out by end of Jan at latest. Keep in February and March would be in shorter supply so may gain a bit of premium. Once into April and May you're really into summer keep and whilst 40p wouldn't be out of line, if your father wants the summer grass he needs to give a 'get out by' date.

 

[outofthefryingpan]

40p a week would be about average for Devon. (Speaking for N & mid) BUT, most dairy farms would want sheep out by end of Jan at latest. Keep in February and March would be in shorter supply so may gain a bit of premium. Once into April and May you're really into summer keep and whilst 40p wouldn't be out of line, if your father wants the summer grass he needs to give a 'get out by' date.

Thanks PBH - I like the sound of a 'get out by' date!!!

 

[multi power]

i was offered 50p a week for ewe lambs, did not think it worth while at that

 

[Spartacus]

So how much is sheep tack then (probably mayor differences across the country I know)

I only ask as the neighbouring sheep farm moves his sheep onto our grass around end of October takes them away to lamb them and brings quite a lot back - then and most gone by middle of May!!! I have often thought that my father could be taken for a ride here as their stay has got longer and longer as the years have gone by - and after baling some of the silage ground yesterday and getting 4 bales an acres I am a little irritated - think he pays 40p a week

does this sound good or bad???! (as I have not got a clue!)

We are on I think £12 per ewe lamb from Nov to Apr, if we were sending ewes away it would be more than that, one place we have is 50p a week for lambs, ewes I think are 70-80p a week and if they are suckling lambs in them then surely it must go up beyond that? Does depend on the area you are in though, I know one fella in the south east that fences to keep his sheep in the fields and that's it, refuses to actually pay for them to graze as he can get it free elsewhere.

 

[M-J-G]

So how much is sheep tack then (probably mayor differences across the country I know)

I only ask as the neighbouring sheep farm moves his sheep onto our grass around end of October takes them away to lamb them and brings quite a lot back - then and most gone by middle of May!!! I have often thought that my father could be taken for a ride here as their stay has got longer and longer as the years have gone by - and after baling some of the silage ground yesterday and getting 4 bales an acres I am a little irritated - think he pays 40p a week

does this sound good or bad???! (as I have not got a clue!)

70p up this way, get them off by mid Jan or they'll hold the grass back in spring. Sheep men hate to hear that though.

 

[Funnywaytmekalivin]

Have been keeping the ewes housed on slats over 20 years on slats, normally housed at Christmas for mid march lambing, it's a bit extra work feeding but you're not depending on anyone for grass which will be there on a wet winter when there's no feeding in it but none there on a good year as the cows will graze it to the clay and you can get on top of the fluke cycle by taking them in for a couple of months.

I agree. If I had somewhere to house the yows last winter it would have paid for itself hands down. They wasn't a blade of grass so they were on ad lib silage anyway. Fluke was a battle that I just couldn't quite win until may, if they had been inside not picking fluke up it would have made a big difference. In a normal year housing would leave a bite of grass for lambing on ( I much prefer to lamb outside).

 

[neilo]

We are on I think £12 per ewe lamb from Nov to Apr, if we were sending ewes away it would be more than that, one place we have is 50p a week for lambs, ewes I think are 70-80p a week and if they are suckling lambs in them then surely it must go up beyond that?

Perhaps suckling lambs should be charged at 50p/hd on top of the ewe's 70p? That would certainly get them moved.