Heifer rearing contract

[devonbeef]

Is that a thing , that Dairies are looking for or do people as a whole rear their own, Is it a thing now a days in demand a small 130 acres grassland farm with ex dairy farmer to rear all or some of another farms replacements , was playing around with other uses of farm, presently in beef.
What sort of payment can you expect per heifer reared or per heifer kept a year etc?

 

[Headless chicken]

We fell into an agreement so sort of a combination of rent and contract rearing but for slightly less acres we pay £24k a year. In theory we are capped numbers at 250 I think.
We supply all the inputs bar water
We provide the labour for anything outside of day to day management
He brings in all the bales made there we shift in anything made else where

 

[vantage]

Beware of TB! Need to link holdings and be within a certain distance, otherwise you’ll end up milking them yourself.
One of the 2k club in Pembs are putting up a mahoosive shed on the home farm to keep heifers home to avoid this problem.

 

[onesiedale]

We fell into an agreement so sort of a combination of rent and contract rearing but for slightly less acres we pay £24k a year. In theory we are capped numbers at 250 I think.
We supply all the inputs bar water
We provide the labour for anything outside of day to day management
He brings in all the bales made there we shift in anything made else where

wow, £100/head/year to rear your heifers.
Sounds too good to be true.

 

[devonbeef]

Beware of TB! Need to link holdings and be within a certain distance, otherwise you’ll end up milking them yourself.
One of the 2k club in Pembs are putting up a mahoosive shed on the home farm to keep heifers home to avoid this problem.

yes tb ,i thought that after i posted,by the look of prices above , are just helping somebody else make money,250 heifers for 24k . Farm and property overheads any profit gone.Stick with beef at that level of payment.
Thank you all for reply's

 

[onesiedale]

heifer rearing prices would start at £1/head/day then rise to take account of particular management/feed needs

 

[Headless chicken]

wow, £100/head/year to rear your heifers.
Sounds too good to be true.

TBF I should add some context there.
1) it’s linked to rented ground price so as a guide the rent would be 1k a month ish and then the looking after is 1k ish
2) we block calve so there is only two groups
3) from now until feb he’s down to half the stock meaning only half to feed over the winter because the incalfers come home to calve and the young heifers don’t go up until turn out
4) I supply every input including diesel for the tractors

I think it is very area specific. As I say rent would be £60-£140 at the real top end locally

 

[onesiedale]

TBF I should add some context there.
1) it’s linked to rented ground price so as a guide the rent would be 1k a month ish and then the looking after is 1k ish
2) we block calve so there is only two groups
3) from now until feb he’s down to half the stock meaning only half to feed over the winter because the incalfers come home to calve and the young heifers don’t go up until turn out
4) I supply every input including diesel for the tractors

I think it is very area specific. As I say rent would be £60-£140 at the real top end locally

still, it sounds a very good deal for you.

 

[devonbeef]

TBF I should add some context there.
1) it’s linked to rented ground price so as a guide the rent would be 1k a month ish and then the looking after is 1k ish
2) we block calve so there is only two groups
3) from now until feb he’s down to half the stock meaning only half to feed over the winter because the incalfers come home to calve and the young heifers don’t go up until turn out
4) I supply every input including diesel for the tractors

I think it is very area specific. As I say rent would be £60-£140 at the real top end locally

at those rent prices is that good ground and buildings?

 

[Headless chicken]

at those rent prices is that good ground and buildings?

£60 an acre would get you ok summer grazing

£140 would be 16 tonne an acre maize ground but still doing all the liming etc.

 

[deleted user 837354]

still, it sounds a very good deal for you.

Guy is getting some rent for the land, plus a monthly income and doesn't do any work outside of the daily stuff sounds like? Wonder how many hours a day 'work' is involved? Could be the other guy has a full time job elsewhere?

 

[devonbeef]

Guy is getting some rent for the land, plus a monthly income and doesn't do any work outside of the daily stuff sounds like? Wonder how many hours a day 'work' is involved? Could be the other guy has a full time job elsewhere?

Gate posts drainage hedges fences resending lime spray topping worming fly treatment 7 days a week responsibility It would need to pay enough to cover all and more or the farm is just being gradually run down.

 

[Beef farmer]

£60 an acre would get you ok summer grazing

£140 would be 16 tonne an acre maize ground but still doing all the liming etc.

Sfi will end that. Is sfi in Wales?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Gate posts drainage hedges fences resending lime spray topping worming fly treatment 7 days a week responsibility It would need to pay enough to cover all and more or the farm is just being gradually run down.

Absolutely, I accept that. But he is being paid a rent as far as I can see, and there is some actual farming occurring, too, so there is likely dung being generated somewhere here, plus whatever bales/silage or other stuff being grown. The guy might even have his own cattle on the place in a shed next door to these heifers.

 

[Headless chicken]

Sfi will end that. Is sfi in Wales?

No we just got tree planting and hedges. Get a little bit for doing some clovers and cover crops but fair few hoops to jump through

 

[happycows]

@devonbeef What do you think you would want or need? last lot i did i paid £10 and that was all in about 5 years ago. They went at 6 months and came back at 22 months. He had 2 winters so there was added cost there. They had a bit of his home grown rolled barley/protein mix. Second winter was on ex dairy cubicles and rubber matts. I don't think it would stack up if you were loose housed on straw for that second winter unless it was home grown and you really valued the deep litter muck.
I supplied Limo bull to get them in calf.

After 6 years as flying herd we are back serving some to sexed and will be looking at our options again for winter 25/26. Tb is the potential elephant in the room.