A sign of things to come!!

[startinghandle]

I have been talking to a farmer's son who said he is making no profit from 500 ewes and will be a lot better off renting out his farm

 

[ShooTa]

wonder what his imputs are and what is owed too the banks.

 

[SteveHants]

wonder what his imputs are and what is owed too the banks.

Quite.

I managed to make a good part-time income with a 400 ewe flock, whilst claiming no subsidy and paying rent as a grazier. Sheep haven't tumbled in value since last year as far as I'm aware.....

 

[DanM]

I have been talking to a farmer's son who said he is making no profit from 500 ewes and will be a lot better off renting out his farm

Precisely what needs to happen, to create more opportunities for the next generation. If you can’t make it pay, step-a-side and let someone else have a go.

 

[neilo]

I have been talking to a farmer's son who said he is making no profit from 500 ewes and will be a lot better off renting out his farm

Is he making no margin from the 500 ewes, or no profit from the farm? Does he have other enterprises, or he is expecting a part time flock to provide a full time wage?

Quite.

I managed to make a good part-time income with a 400 ewe flock, whilst claiming no subsidy and paying rent as a grazier. Sheep haven't tumbled in value since last year as far as I'm aware.....

Quite, but you presumably had none of the fixed costs that come with long term land holding, either as a land owner or a tenant? My sheep leave a bit, as an individual enterprise, but most of it gets eaten up doing daft things like rectifying drainage issues, laying water pipes, hedgecutting, etc.

 

[Shughie McFee]

Rent it out to someone else to keep 500 ewes and sell them for the same price in the same market.......?

 

[SteveHants]

Is he making no margin from the 500 ewes, or no profit from the farm? Does he have other enterprises, or he is expecting a part time flock to provide a full time wage?



Quite, but you presumably had none of the fixed costs that come with long term land holding, either as a land owner or a tenant? My sheep leave a bit, as an individual enterprise, but most of it gets eaten up doing daft things like rectifying drainage issues, laying water pipes, hedgecutting, etc.

Surely the SFP goes some way towards covering that?
If you are renting - surely it is the landlords responsability to maintain his asset? You wouldn't rent a house and fix the boiler yourself, would you?

 

[Tim W]

Precisely what needs to happen, to create more opportunities for the next generation. If you can’t make it pay, step-a-side and let someone else have a go.

It's not the next generation in age ----it's the next generation in terms of adaptability and willingness to change
(some of us old buggers can make a living too you know )

 

[DanM]

It's not the next generation in age ----it's the next generation in terms of adaptability and willingness to change
(some of us old buggers can make a living too you know )

I didn’t mention age! ....Perhaps “next generation” should be replaced by “profitable, forward thinking individuals”....besides those shedding things’ll never catch on?

 

[neilo]

Surely the SFP goes some way towards covering that?
If you are renting - surely it is the landlords responsability to maintain his asset? You wouldn't rent a house and fix the boiler yourself, would you?

That rather depends what the SFP is and the level of rent.
If you rent a farm, there aren’t many landlords that I know of that do much maintenance to the farm, or have any responsibility too, other than to the buildings that they normally own. Even then, ‘maintaining’ can be open to interpretation.

You mention renting a house, well yes, my rent includes a house, whereas a grazier’s Doesn’t. My sheep (& other enterprises) have to pay for that, whereas presumably your profit would have to cover a private rent/mortgage?
And yes, I do pay to repair the boiler in my rented house. It’s my boiler, I had to put it in if I didn’t want to use the knackered Rayburn and thick blankets. I’ll also take it with me when I leave, or more likely pass it on to the next tenant if it’s still going.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

It's not the next generation in age ----it's the next generation in terms of adaptability and willingness to change
(some of us old buggers can make a living too you know )

Even if it is a struggle to pack the scotpen away ?

 

[Al R]

I can quite believe it after reading some magnificently high feed/wintering costs on some indoor systems where they are often high input - low output

 

[SteveHants]

That rather depends what the SFP is and the level of rent.
If you rent a farm, there aren’t many landlords that I know of that do much maintenance to the farm, or have any responsibility too, other than to the buildings that they normally own. Even then, ‘maintaining’ can be open to interpretation.

You mention renting a house, well yes, my rent includes a house, whereas a grazier’s Doesn’t. My sheep (& other enterprises) have to pay for that, whereas presumably your profit would have to cover a private rent/mortgage?
And yes, I do pay to repair the boiler in my rented house. It’s my boiler, I had to put it in if I didn’t want to use the knackered Rayburn and thick blankets. I’ll also take it with me when I leave, or more likely pass it on to the next tenant if it’s still going.

Well yes, it did.
I just can't imagine both owning a farm outright (as the person in the OP seems to) and having the convenience of having my livestock on the same farm (Diesel was a major overhead of mine) and running 500 sheep, which gives plenty of time to work part time elsewhere and not being able to make it pay.

Also, it sounds like your landlord takes the pee as regards the house? Are you qualified to fit a boiler? If not, they ought to fit one for you, if only because I can really see something like that voiding home insurance policies....

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Well yes, it did.
I just can't imagine both owning a farm outright (as the person in the OP seems to) and having the convenience of having my livestock on the same farm (Diesel was a major overhead of mine) and running 500 sheep, which gives plenty of time to work part time elsewhere and not being able to make it pay.

Also, it sounds like your landlord takes the pee as regards the house? Are you qualified to fit a boiler? If not, they ought to fit one for you, if only because I can really see something like that voiding home insurance policies....

Where does the op say the farm is owned outright?
It may well be, or he may have an horrendous mortgage like myself!
But then, I certainly wouldn't expect 500 ewes to be either a full time occupation or cover my mortgage as well as a decent profit.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Well yes, it did.
I just can't imagine both owning a farm outright (as the person in the OP seems to) and having the convenience of having my livestock on the same farm (Diesel was a major overhead of mine) and running 500 sheep, which gives plenty of time to work part time elsewhere and not being able to make it pay.

Also, it sounds like your landlord takes the pee as regards the house? Are you qualified to fit a boiler? If not, they ought to fit one for you, if only because I can really see something like that voiding home insurance policies....

So Now @neilo .. boiller fitting expert ?
well expect hes probably got an appropriate 'suit' to wear i guess ?

 

[SteveHants]

So Now @neilo .. boiller fitting expert ?
well expect hes probably got an appropriate 'suit' to wear i guess ?

So have I, but mine says PIC on it....

 

[Bury the Trash]

So have I, but mine says PIC on it....

Pig improvement co?
Pig breeding / improvement has been very impressive over the years ' course it can be way faster than with sheep breeding / one lambing per year, but none the less..impressive .... and they never ever had headage subsidy assistance either ............

 

[DRC]

Surely the SFP goes some way towards covering that?
If you are renting - surely it is the landlords responsability to maintain his asset? You wouldn't rent a house and fix the boiler yourself, would you?

Depends on the terms of the agreement ( I’m on a full repairing tenancy), and often if you want something done you have to do it yourself . One repair to the farmhouse that they did agree to do at the rent review last September , has only just got done after constant badgering . Our landlords would rather leave properties empty than repair or maintain them up to lettable standards .

 

[spin cycle]

matter of interest....just on the 500 ewes.....how much should he be making?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

matter of interest....just on the 500 ewes.....how much should he be making?