Livestock Leasing

[TlymarT_028]

Hi there, looking for some advice/wisdom! I've worked in agriculture from the age of 14 and new at the age of 19 I have the chance to run some land (75 acres of my own and manage 60 for another person) but I'm not in a situation where I can buy the stock outright for the land. I know that in dairy farming people sometimes lease out cows and was just wondering if people had ever heard of/been a part of it happening with sheep and beef? I'd mostly be looking at sheep for now because the shed situation isn't the best and then looking to purchase cattle in the future after the savings account is a bit more substantial. If anyone has been involved or heard of it happening could you outline how please? i.e. the returns made to the farmer (leaser) and over what period. Thanks guys!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Not enough margin to lease sheep I’d have thought. And they are too prone to dying.

Consider taking sheep on tack? So much a week per sheep, you do the work. They pay you, you send sheep back finished or weaned etc.

 

[TlymarT_028]

Not enough margin to lease sheep I’d have thought. And they are too prone to dying.

Consider taking sheep on tack? So much a week per sheep, you do the work. They pay you, you send sheep back finished or weaned etc.

What kind of figure do you think would be appropriate to be payed for something like that? My idea for the leasing was the farmer would get back a percentage of weaned lambs for either one or 2 years to cover the initial price of the ewes and after they are payed off you would fully own the ewes.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

What kind of figure do you think would be appropriate to be payed for something like that? My idea for the leasing was the farmer would get back a percentage of weaned lambs for either one or 2 years to cover the initial price of the ewes and after they are payed off you would fully own the ewes.

The best person I can think of on here who would be the man too char with us @unlacedgecko. Reckon he might be able too offer some insider knowledge?

 

[unlacedgecko]

The best person I can think of on here who would be the man too char with us @unlacedgecko. Reckon he might be able too offer some insider knowledge?

Thanks for the tag.
I know of a chap who leases out ewes. Haven’t spoke to him for a couple of years. Price at the time was £8/ewe per year, plus 25% of all weaned ewe lambs.

I found it more efficient to buy draft hill ewes.

 

[TlymarT_028]

Thanks for the tag.
I know of a chap who leases out ewes. Haven’t spoke to him for a couple of years. Price at the time was £8/ewe per year, plus 25% of all weaned ewe lambs.

I found it more efficient to buy draft hill ewes.

Draft hill ewes was my other option get a mule lamb off them, sell well and build the revenue up. interesting to hear the rates on the leasing sheep though and to hear people are actually in it! Thanks @unlacedgecko and @Anymulewilldo

 

[Estate fencing.]

I found it more efficient to buy draft hill ewes.

That's what I would do (and did do to get going), buy your self 200 scruffy welsh draft ewes that have had a hard life and 4 high index tups. £10,000 and they are your sheep, 3 years later you have a flock of young cross bred ewes for very little money.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

There are a few grants out there for young people. Have you investigated any of these?
The Henry Plumb Foundation gives out reasonable amounts of money to young farmers.
I would also consider taking in ewe lambs and running them round to shearlings for the whole year. You don't say where you are but I presume in the north of England.
We put out ewe lambs every year on either a sell and buy back or pay keep for the year.

 

[upnortheast]

Best option, if you could would be to buy the sheep yourself.
Talk to the bank,, local auction mart, your granny etc etc ( not necessarily in that order ) & see if you can come to some arrangement with someone

 

[JSmith]

Some markets will book lambs to you an not pay until you take them back! Maybe if you had someone to vouch for you

 

[Guiggs]

Expensive year to be buying into sheep!

 

[TlymarT_028]

@Electricfencer if I had 10 grand to spend I wouldn't be looking at leasing/different options than buying! @Frank-the-Wool I'm actually on the Isle of Man! @upnortheast I'm a full time student so wouldn't have the means for a loan from the bank unfortunately.

 

[unlacedgecko]

@Electricfencer if I had 10 grand to spend I wouldn't be looking at leasing/different options than buying! @Frank-the-Wool I'm actually on the Isle of Man! @upnortheast I'm a full time student so wouldn't have the means for a loan from the bank unfortunately.

Approach a sheep farmer. Take his ewe lambs at weaning, tup them, lamb them and return them at weaning, retaining the lambs.
Not a cost effective method of fat lamb production, but good for getting maternal genetics cheaply.

 

[TlymarT_028]

Approach a sheep farmer. Take his ewe lambs at weaning, tup them, lamb them and return them at weaning, retaining the lambs.
Not a cost effective method of fat lamb production, but good for getting maternal genetics cheaply.

What would incentivize the farmer to give me the ewe lambs and return them after lambing them for myself though?

 

[upnortheast]

What would incentivize the farmer to give me the ewe lambs and return them after lambing them for myself though?

Plenty sheep farmers have more sheep than they should for the available land

 

[Estate fencing.]

Approach a sheep farmer. Take his ewe lambs at weaning, tup them, lamb them and return them at weaning, retaining the lambs.
Not a cost effective method of fat lamb production, but good for getting maternal genetics cheaply.

That’s a good idea. They get free keep and shepherding for 12 month plus the ewe lambs get experience and you get some lambs to start your own flock.

 

[Guiggs]

What would incentivize the farmer to give me the ewe lambs and return them after lambing them for myself though?

He's getting his ewe lambs reared/ grazed off farm for free, any that return after reading a lamb should be a better shearling at lambing in many peoples opinions and his cost in terms of the lambs he "pays" you with should be relatively minimal as they won't all get in/ have a/ rear a lamb.

 

[Guiggs]

That’s a good idea. They get free keep and shepherding for 12 month plus the ewe lambs get experience and you get some lambs to start your own flock.

Beat me to it!

 

[Estate fencing.]

Beat me to it!

Said the same as me but in a better way!

 

[BE89]

How farmers are benefiting from contract rearing ewe lambs - Farmers Weekly

Outsourcing the breeding and lambing of 500 ewe lambs is allowing a large-scale sheep enterprise to maximise stocking rates and grass availability on its

www.fwi.co.uk