[tommytink]

So - I am looking at getting the use of some more land. Predominately over winter. Last time I did this I paid 50p per head per week. I had about 25 sheep running on approx 7 acres and they were there roughly three months.
I asked around about land definitely for winter but poss on an annual basis as the OH has said twice this year that we could do with more land (mainly due to knock on effects of weather which is obvs ever-changing). So I went to look at approx 8 acres. They did have 11 and had said 100 an acre a year. I said I’d be interested in over winter definitely and poss annually if they let me know how much they’d want for just the winter. Didn’t hear anything about that. One field wasn’t fully fenced, so I said would they do the 8 acre secure fields for 100 an acre a year and they said yes. Now, I’ve sat down with the OH who has said really my plan for more land is not going to net me any more money as I’d need to get more sheep to cover the cost and it seems like making life hard for myself for not much return. He said people that rent fields often take a cut of hay or similar and that’s where it pays off. I’m not able to do this.
So my question is this. I would like the 8 acres over winter, but with my new plans there would only be 14 sheep going there. Ideally I’m looking mid-Sept to end of Jan. 50p a head a week (if I paid what I did before) isn’t going to amount to much - certainly not the 100s an annual rent would’ve brought. The OH said maybe ask to rent Aug - end of Jan and pay 400 but I don’t know if that sounds like a lot too.
What would be a fair offer? They don’t seem to have a clear idea of what they want, just keen for the land to be used. I want to keep costs down as I’m not having more sheep to cover anything but I don’t want to take the p!ss.

[Womble]

really my plan for more land is not going to net me any more money as I’d need to get more sheep to cover the cost

This is the line that stuck out to me. Unless you're currently massively overstocked, renting more ground is not going to make you any more money if you keep the same number of sheep overall.

Equally if you end up getting more sheep just to use your rented grazing, you might make more money, but equally all your other costs and time spent will go up as well.

So I think the real question (over and above fair prices per acre) is what are you trying to achieve here?

[tommytink]

Sorry, I’ve prob gone into far too much detail. Put simply, I need more land for the sheep I have. I have 12 acres out of action at home over winter and the other 8 acres I have struggles to support them for as long as I’d like.

This year I ended up having to feed hay early (again in part due to the weather), ran out of it, and then had the hassle of trying to source decent forage and as well as meeting the additional cost as well. Idea is I rent somewhere and they get good grass instead, the money I may spend on extra feed going to rent the field instead. I cannot afford to rent annually as there is no return in it for me. So what is a fair price to offer for renting either mid-Sep to end of Jan or the 6 months from August.

Taking into account what my OH has explained £400 (6 months at half the price of 12) still seems like a lot to accommodate the less than 20 sheep I’d be putting there.

[twizzel]

I’d just offer to keep it tidy over winter, your sheep will take out all the old grass growth and improve it for hay the next year. We have free winter keep that turned into all year round keep, but that’s off the back of the sheep doing the ground good, me moving them when asked and checking regularly. They supply water, I fence the fields. And we always make sure their freezer is well stocked with lamb, and from this year going forward, beef too.


If you can’t afford the rent, and are only putting 15 sheep up there which are basically going to cost £20 each to keep over winter in rent, either cut back, offer to graze it for nothing, or find somewhere else?