Boarding cows

[dutch pride]

Does anyone own cows but board them elsewhere? How does this work? Do you pay a fee per month? Yearly fee? How do you handle vet/breeding costs? I only have a few cows and have to purchase all my feed antway so was thinking I might be just as well off having someone else board them for me as they can probably do it as cheap or cheaper than i can.

DLZ

 

[simmyman67]

It's $100 a head per month plus feed for me.

 

[hangonsloopy]

It's $100 a head per month plus feed for me.

You can send me as many cows as you want for that price.  I'd even take $5 a month less.

 

[simba]

It's $100 a head per month plus feed for me.

I'm just starting to board animals and was told to charge feed plus $100 for halter breaking and charge for any additional costs ie. vaccines, nose rings etc. The calf I'm boarding is just living with my 4-H steer, nothing special or anything and not in a cool room. Is $100/month the going rate? It sounds like I need to raise my prices! Also do you charge commission if you take the animal to a sale for the person and sell it?

 

[jagerbeef]

When I did it for a buddy a couple of years ago I charged $3.50 a day and that was hay and a lick tub.

 

[woltemathangus]

yes when you take a persons calf to a sale and sell it for them, whether or not you have the buyers on the phone or bidding. you would usually charge a percentage of commission. it is just like putting your own calf on someone elses sale, the running rate is 30% of total sales.

 

[KSanburg]

I winter 60 head for some folks that are retired and go to Vegas for the winter, this is my 4th winter doing it. I charge them $3 a day per head for their cows and $5 for their bull, I charge them additionally for mineral lick tubs and labor for calving and ground work. Anything that needs a vet they have a charge account with one of the local guys and they bill them directly for those items. Some times I am sure that I should be charging more, but I am out feeding my own cows anyhow so it works good for me.

 

[RyanChandler]

Many feed lots will board for a couple bucks/day + vet.  $5 a day seems outrageous. 

 

[KSanburg]

Many feed lots will board for a couple bucks/day + vet.   $5 a day seems outrageous. 

For a bull that eats 70 lbs. a day I think it is fair and I sm sure he will eat 70# and maybe more. With hay at $160 a ton that is actually on the cheap side.

 

[CAB]

@ these prices the best thing to do for the owners would be to sell their cows. Even with today's great prices they'll lose a substancial amount of money. $100.00 /month x 12 months = $1200.00 per cow. 600lb steer calf @ $1.60/lb = $960.00 for a net loss of $240.00/ pair without figuring any feed costs, vet, & natural death loss.

 

[KSanburg]

@ these prices the best thing to do for the owners would be to sell their cows. Even with today's great prices they'll lose a substancial amount of money. $100.00 /month x 12 months = $1200.00 per cow. 600lb steer calf @ $1.60/lb = $960.00 for a net loss of $240.00/ pair without figuring any feed costs, vet, & natural death loss.

My price is for wintering, they have there own summer pasture, in the early fall and spring when the cows are on pasture I charge $18 per head per month. I would recommend them sell them if it were 12 months a year.

 

[garybob]

It's $100 a head per month plus feed for me.

You can send me as many cows as you want for that price.  I'd even take $5 a month less.

That's exactly what I was thinking..........

GB

 

[kfacres]

It's $100 a head per month plus feed for me.

You can send me as many cows as you want for that price.  I'd even take $5 a month less.

That's exactly what I was thinking..........

GB

bidding war?????  94.50- my offer

 

[dutch pride]

Thanks for the ideas, What I am really asking is a price for year around care of cows. As I have 5 cows and currently purchase all the feed ( I only have 1.5 acre pasture). My kids have moved out so I have very little help now. It is a hassle to find hay to purchase, find a place for manure etc. I still like having calves and working with calves but not every day of the week. So my thinking was If I could put my cows at another producer and pay a monthly fee or a flat rate per calf weaned it might work out good for the both of us. If as a producer, you could be guaranteed say $600 per calf weaned without breeding costs, would that be a fair deal?

DLZ

 

[kfacres]

nothing in life is guaranteed...  sounds to me like you'd be better off selling them to someone else, and going over there when you feel like messing with them.. or find a new 4H'er to take the reigns over...

 

[DL]

Lets put some numbers to this - a 1500 lb cow who eats 2% of her body weight in hay will require for maintenance 30 lbs which at $150 per ton is $2.25 per cow per day for hay for maintenance. If it is bitter cold the requirement for hay will increase, so some days you might pay 2.50 or more per day for hay alone. That does not include mineral or any supplement the cow may need. That does not include the cost of  electricity, water, labor, depreciation on buildings and equipment, pasture improvement, veterinary costs, vaccines, calf care, pregnancy checking, breeding, calf care, calf management, etc nor does it factor in what happens if the calf or the cow dies? This is not a winning proposition for the person doing the work FWIW I agree with Jody