The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: moony on October 04, 2013, 11:06:45 am
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Does anybody rent winter grazing for sheep? If so what are the usual rates. We have only ever paid for all year round grazing or summer only before so have no idea of the normal rates.
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Around here about 40p per sheep per week.
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Depends - Turnips are about 50p, Dairy grass a bit less. I got offered 20ac of what I can only call 'scrub' end winter, for which I aint paying, but should give the ewes a bit of a bite.
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I pay
15p/wk for downland---fenced/watered and looked at
nothing for dairy leys that I have to electric fence and check
20p/wk for undersown clover leys that I have to fence
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We (Deeside, Scotland) have just agreed a winter grazing licence on well grassed but rough upland fields, with them having to bring their own fencing, they offered 35p per head per week which I was very happy with given the fencing aspect. we normally use these fields for hay so it will benefit that having the old grass eaten off and the ground fertilised. This year the baler broke so most is a mix of unmown standing grass, topped fields and some that we did manage to bale hay before balergeddon. So quite a bit to eat for them.
They will deal with escapees/casualties and any supplementary forage/feed, but they know I will keep an eye on them so they know of any problems, and also we will provide water. They will be off by end of Feb but I will probably do the licence agreement until mid or end of March as it might still be snowed in by end Feb.
I should add I know this farmer as he's nearby (which also makes it good for him as so convenient) and I am happy with his stock and his management of them, I would probably not have bothered to do it if I didnt have any knowledge of the person coming on.
Hope this is useful!