Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
When I was a teenager I used to think it was very unfair my parents weren't farmers. However I grew up and realised you've got to make the best of what you've got
I check my sheep after breakfast, then go to work after that. I own both businesses so can be flexible when I need to. I'm not busting a gut but enough to pay my mortgage and feed the family.Question for those that don't have sheep as their full income and have to work elsewhere. How do you find the time to do both? Do you work in the day and fit in the sheep on evenings and weekends? Or do you just work a few days a week and can then dedicate the rest of the time to the sheep? Any examples would be much appreciated!
I’d like too watch you try…Subdivision and proper grazing management will very quickly transform those blocks
All vaccinations ,drawing fat lambs etc majority of times need to gather them up done on saturday first thing,Question for those that don't have sheep as their full income and have to work elsewhere. How do you find the time to do both? Do you work in the day and fit in the sheep on evenings and weekends? Or do you just work a few days a week and can then dedicate the rest of the time to the sheep? Any examples would be much appreciated!
Beat me to it !I check my sheep after breakfast, then go to work after that. I own both businesses so can be flexible when I need to. I'm not busting a gut but enough to pay my mortgage and feed the family.
I check my sheep after breakfast, then go to work after that. I own both businesses so can be flexible when I need to. I'm not busting a gut but enough to pay my mortgage and feed the family.
Yours is much better detailed thoughBeat me to it !
I used to think that when I was at college but now at least I own what I have and my aging parents don’t control the money and could give to my siblings at the drop of a hat.When I was a teenager I used to think it was very unfair my parents weren't farmers. However I grew up and realised you've got to make the best of what you've got
it’s easy too have high welfare standards when you shoot everything that has a problem…Why bother? If we make any more profit over and above our subs then we'll just have to buy more and more expensive and unnecessary buildings and equipment to keep the tax bill down. Best to just breed our sheep for aesthetics, get good lambing percentages at any cost to impress our neighbours, and rather than spending our time managing our grazing, we can spend it repairing our buildings and equipment, and working at the sheep, using antibiotics and an array of harmful chemicals to mask over the numerous fatal flaws we've bred into them, all the while we can act all smug about how high our welfare standards are.
You’d be better off if your parents were hedge fund managers or pop stars !When I was a teenager I used to think it was very unfair my parents weren't farmers. However I grew up and realised you've got to make the best of what you've got
To be fair the idea that big scale kiwi farming is low welfare is rubbish mostly. I’ve seen some horrific stuff on family farms here.it’s easy too have high welfare standards when you shoot everything that has a problem…
It is indeed, but plenty folk would rather just treat the symptoms of genetic flaws and breed them into the next generations.it’s easy too have high welfare standards when you shoot everything that has a problem…
What's wrong with that? Dead animals don't suffer. And dogs have gotta eat too. (and humans. My freezer is almost entirely cull ewe).it’s easy too have high welfare standards when you shoot everything that has a problem…
This is my road to Damascus moment. The scales have fallen from my eyes. I'll chop in all my maternal composites and blow the cash on 1/4 of the number of bonny heid mules.
Any hints on how to get some of those subs?
Well, for a start off you’d have to pay more rent if the landlord wasn’t getting the sub. With a bit more security if tenure you would also gain a few commitments to spend that subsidy on.
Then you’d have to invest many thousands on buying entitlements, as I did.
You green eyed graziers don’t know how lucky you’ve got it…
Like what? I'm already responsible for the fencing, topping and trimming hedges.Well, for a start off you’d have to pay more rent if the landlord wasn’t getting the sub. With a bit more security if tenure you would also gain a few commitments to spend that subsidy on.
Then you’d have to invest many thousands on buying entitlements, as I did.
You green eyed graziers don’t know how lucky you’ve got it…
There are hell of lot of acres of moorland that are impossible to subdivide or do anything to improve!Subdivision and proper grazing management will very quickly transform those blocks
I can see both sides. But when running a buisness, security is a massive massive thing.
I had 40 acres that I’d saved all winter, day before I was going to seen 140 ewes and lambs down there the women rang to say it was let to someone else. It got sold 12 month later and now have it back again but the new owner own the sheep and I charge them to shepherd them. Oh and the person who took the land bought my ewes and lambs in market for more than they would have made if I kept them until August.Absolutely, if only as the base holding.
We used to trek round loads of annual grass keep round home years ago and I don’t intend getting back on that treadmill anytime soon. Too many times there would be a last minute phone call from an agent saying they’d let it go someone else, who we knew well would trash it and be kicked out the following year. The worst was in early March, just as we started lambing, and expecting to drop ewes & lambs over there after verbal agreements.
That's the problem with doing things on a word. To many people their word means nothing.Absolutely, if only as the base holding.
We used to trek round loads of annual grass keep round home years ago and I don’t intend getting back on that treadmill anytime soon. Too many times there would be a last minute phone call from an agent saying they’d let it go someone else, who we knew well would trash it and be kicked out the following year. The worst was in early March, just as we started lambing, and expecting to drop ewes & lambs over there after verbal agreements.
Folk can get a bit funny when we are seen too be too quick with the bullet. Full agreement there are times it’s kinder.What's wrong with that? Dead animals don't suffer. And dogs have gotta eat too. (and humans. My freezer is almost entirely cull ewe).