[Remy]

I have a nice young 100% proven Ryeland tup who will be redundant for this season and am thinking of hiring him out - what are the pros and cons?  Would you/have you done it? 


I assume the obvious is illness/injury/disease etc, not sure if it's worth the hassle and maybe to sell him instead?   

[Marches Farmer]

I hire out registered Southdown tups for four weeks at a time, once only per season.  Our flock has high health status (no scab, orf, toxo, Johnes, Jaagsiekte, etc.) and all are wormed, foot checked and quarantined for at least six weeks upon return.   I mostly hire unrelated tups to folks who've purchased ewe lambs from me in the past.  I've never had any problems with the tups upon return and they've always got all their girls pregnant in the four week hire period.  It's getting a bit late for tupping in this area, tups are in now for an Easter lambing.

[Remy]

How much do you charge?

[Me]

The incubation times of some of the diseases you state you are free of are a lot longer than four weeks though - beware

[Marches Farmer]

Yes, our rams go to another holding after quarantine in an approved facility and are isolated there until the following tupping season or they go straight to cull.  We don't hire them out more than once a season.  We charge £50 for the four-week hire period and mostly the hirer collects and returns, although we charge mileage at cost to those who don't have their own trailer.

[Me]

Do you think its worth the bother/risk next to just rearing extra lambs on the pastures the hire tups are sat on?

[landroverroy]

 I lent a ram out once and he came back with scab. The people didn't tell me until it had been spread throughout my flock - just as we started lambing. We ended up having to dip everything - little lambs and all. They had the cheek to say that when their sheep started scratching they thought it was my ram that brought it. Turned out it came from some ewes they bought at market, that hadn't been dipped.
Another time I lent my Hereford bull out to a neighbour and he came back with all his ribs showing.
So - to me it isn't worth hiring/lending out an animal - it just isn't worth the hassle and potential risks. 

[Marches Farmer]

Do you think its worth the bother/risk next to just rearing extra lambs on the pastures the hire tups are sat on?

Our tups are mostly hired to smallholders who've bought ewe lambs from us and don't have room for and/or want a ram around all year.  We're passionate about native rare breed conservation and using this method we've helped to buld up new flocks in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Powys, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire, which helps to keep the breed safe in the event of a disease outbreak.  For us this makes it worth the risk.  We always take a few of our best ram lambs through to the shearling stage, as a safeguard against being without a ram of working age if there should be another lockdown like that of F&M in 2001, so this way they get used for the overall benefit of the breed if they're not needed on our farm.

[Me]

Faaaaiiiiir enough