The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: Barcud on August 21, 2010, 08:21:12 pm

Title: Grazing costs
Post by: Barcud on August 21, 2010, 08:21:12 pm
I've been offered some grazing on some land which has gone rather rough. The better grass has been topped and left. We've also cut and baled another 9 acres about a fortnight ago, not the best of grass but OK.
I've been told to give what I feel it's worth - and that's where I'm struggling.
I'm keen to give a fair price.
Was thinking of calculating grazing on a headage/week basis
and baling on an acreage basis - we won't be fertilising.
Any ideas on rates, given late season etc ???
Barcud
Title: Re: Grazing costs
Post by: belgianblue on August 23, 2010, 08:06:51 pm
about £40 an acre. that is what we are paying,
Title: Re: Grazing costs
Post by: daddymatty82 on August 24, 2010, 06:02:16 pm
id say that  but then i get 7 acres of rough grass got the works like thistles and nettles etc etc  pump your own water from the well  its for equine use atm. i only pay £30 a month all in
Title: Re: Grazing costs
Post by: Anke on August 24, 2010, 09:47:09 pm
I have got young heifers grazing my (subdivided) field this year (together with the sheep) and get one pound per head per week. It was twenty of them for the first few weeks, and then went down to 9 as the grass got a bit shorter.

BUt the real gain for me was that the cattle cleared two of the smaller fields after the ewes/lambs were in, so keep them clear for the rest of the year and should have nice clean field for post-lambing next spring.

Also the cattle being here meant that I did not have to get the topper out once - a real time/diesel saving for us!

All these things to consider when calculating how much grazing is worth!
Title: Re: Grazing costs
Post by: Barcud on August 27, 2010, 05:28:01 pm
Thanks for the feedback - £1/head/week seems a good measure. They certainly will have done the land some good as it was starting to get rather rough.
Mike