How many hours in a standard working day?

Fellstoflats

Member
Livestock Farmer
Genuine question, and I know that I'll get a thousand different answers.

What is a "standard" working day to you, or your staff, on your farm? How many hours?

On a run of the mill day - not lambing/calving/harvest/silage etc

For reference, I'm thinking 800ac, mixed beef/sheep/arable, modern equipment, not so modern buildings.
 
Solution
Work on dairy farm here standard day is 5-5 break is from 11ish to 1 ish. Night shift take over at 5 finish at 7 back at 8 45 and done by 2 30. Some staff do 6 days a week some do 5.5 and most do 5. Boss is flexible within reason.

Previous farm was large arable and 200 cow dairy

Mon to fri 7.30 till 4.30 then on overtime. Usually an hour a day and some saturdays during drilling etc

Harvest was 7.30 till last load around 9ish.

Dairy staff was 4-6ish with 2-3 hour break depending hpw day went that was 12 on 2 off

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
Standard minimum hours
Fencing 7.30-5.00
Hedgecuttting 6.00-6.00
But they reality is to run the show I’m up at 5.30, make my dinner for the day, load stuff, mend stuff, do quotes, or I go to the job early.
Then when I finish work I may sort jobs out for the next day, mend stuff, move stuff, load stuff. Then there’s our other businesses stuff to sort out along with day to day running of the house, sheep life etc. most nights it’s usually past 8.30 by the time we sit down then I get hopefully 1 hour off then I walk dogs for the last time and get to bed!
 

Willie adie

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Standard minimum hours
Fencing 7.30-5.00
Hedgecuttting 6.00-6.00
But they reality is to run the show I’m up at 5.30, make my dinner for the day, load stuff, mend stuff, do quotes, or I go to the job early.
Then when I finish work I may sort jobs out for the next day, mend stuff, move stuff, load stuff. Then there’s our other businesses stuff to sort out along with day to day running of the house, sheep life etc. most nights it’s usually past 8.30 by the time we sit down then I get hopefully 1 hour off then I walk dogs for the last time and get to bed!

A fencer up here is renowned for his working hours, on site every day by 7am and still there well into the evening. Apparently he has a swimming pool in his house that he has never been in. And sleeps in a chair .
A few years ago a lad working for him asked for time off to go and buy a suit for a wedding. He was allowed to stop at 3 45 on a Sunday afternoon
 

PI Stsker

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South West
A fencer up here is renowned for his working hours, on site every day by 7am and still there well into the evening. Apparently he has a swimming pool in his house that he has never been in. And sleeps in a chair .
A few years ago a lad working for him asked for time off to go and buy a suit for a wedding. He was allowed to stop at 3 45 on a Sunday afternoon
Sod that…
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
8:30/9:00am start, depending on how well I've managed to get the kids out the house and into various bases for the day.
Try to be done by 6:00pm but invariably 6:30 -certainly now its lighter.

Other half is working by 8 and does the kids collection in the afternoon
 

PI Stsker

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South West
8:30/9:00am start, depending on how well I've managed to get the kids out the house and into various bases for the day.
Try to be done by 6:00pm but invariably 6:30 -certainly now its lighter.

Other half is working by 8 and does the kids collection in the afternoon
I like how flexible farming is with children. What does your other half do work wise and could you manage (as easily) with out being in the position your in able to ‘rock up late’ to work because that’s how it’s fallen with school run etc
 

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
8am-5pm, 45 /60 mins for dinner

It's well known that a person's concentration falls the longer they work, so longer hours may not be reflected in productivity.

This is very true, back in the early days we used to work till 7pm Mondays and Wednesdays and half days Sunday. I was fencing so much you would put things off and have the attitude that you will do that tomorrow.
It’s more productive to work harder and faster a shorter amount of time and make the most of your time at work
 

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