Niall Kerins, Teagasc Cattle specialist, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss winter cattle housing arrangements.
Every winter a significant number of cattle are housed and fed in rented sheds. Whether you are the farmer renting out the shed or a farmer renting in the shed, there are a number of considerations for both parties.
Fodder, labour and machinery running costs are often included in the agreements that are made. The payment rate per head is usually determined by local supply and demand, with arrangements in many cases going back over a number of years.
Niall outlines a number of questions regarding daily charge per head which depends on:
• The type of animal being housed?
• Is the forage being provided?
• What quantity of meal is being fed?
• Is straw bedding included?
• Are labour and machinery costs included?
An individual cost per head per day can be included for each of these.
Niall also advises contacting the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) regarding movement of cattle rules. There should be no mixing of herds.
Before renting the shed it should be clean, have good lighting, and gates and barriers should be working properly etc. When returned it should be clean, power washed and disinfected.
It is important to set out the rules before the cattle are moved into the shed from who is feeding the cattle, what time will the cattle be fed, are meals being fed, is this once or twice a day, where is the meal to be stored, if drinkers/gates/barriers break who will fix them and who covers the cost etc.