Is a tractor essential?

just do it

This is a question I've been dwelling on over since I put the cattle in. Like a lot of Irish farmers I'm a part-timer and always will be. Each year I've great intentions of doing this, that and the other but just never seem to get around to it.

So I've an auld MF165 that is on its knees at this stage. I've a few bits of machinery, but not much. The tractor is only really used for feeding, fertilising, and bringing in silage bales. I got a chain harrow at the end of '09 and have used it once, and only briefly. I've a topper that I've used a fair bit alright as the farm was let for nearly 30yrs till '07 and is now knackered. This year I didn't even spread the fertilizer!

So I've worked out there is about 3.5hrs tractor work a week involved in feeding the cattle. Lets say that comes to 24 weeks that gives 84hrs. I've a neighbour close by that I'd trust to do it. He passes by each day in his tractor as he has an outside holding. What rate per hour? I'm guessing €15. That comes to €1,260 for the winter.

Fertilizer - 20hrs?, bringing in bales - 30 hours?. 50 hours is another €750. So that's €2,000 give or take. Lets say another €500 for bits and pieces like topping (I've the worst of this done), spraying etc and that gives a total of €2,500 for the year.

€2,500 for the year, and that I think is being generous.

What does it cost to do all this yourself for the year?
Tractor depreciation €1,000, diesel €300, parts etc €300, machinery depreciation €300, Insurance & tax etc . All in all ~€2,000. My time €??? As the mastercard ad says "that's priceless"!

Also because I'm not that big into machinery, can't justify having a 30k tractor and all the bits of machinery you could collect, it would mean alot less hassle!

Your thoughts are welcome!

6480

that could work with the winter feeding but might be hard to get people to bring bales in for you in a busy summer week of good weather , the crows could have fun wit them , i always like to get the fert in the spring time out in dry conditions

1chippy

theres six tractors round our place, my brother does contracting. dad has an old international 885 he bought years ago that the engine went in six months back. bought a new secondhand one off the garage that he brought the old one to be repaired. To be honest its the only tractor thats essential. Silage grab on it this time of year, transport box on it an odd time, fertiliser spreader on it in a few months, roller on it now and then, topper and an odd trailer load of straw taken home or load of meal. Couldnt do without it. you would be surprised how handy it is to have one. i know a few small farmers out in connemara (land that is hard to travel even in mid summer) that get away without them. but realistically cant see any other farmer without one. it doesnt have to be a 30k tractor an old farmers tractor is not that expensive 3-4k should cover you well. will your neighbour be around every time you need him. you will have to allow for your time anyway each time you have to show the other farmer what to do. I dont know many contractors or even close neighbours who would see 15 an hour as a profit after putting in their own diesel in.

limo_100

sure you can pick up a massey 390 2wheel drive for around 10k as good a tractor that any man ever needed for the jobs you discribe.

JohnBoy

I knew a guy running a 120 cow dairy herd with no tractor.

quad and trailer for transport box jobs and everything else contracted, feeding to a neighbour, everything else to a regular contractor.


it can be done, but it's probably easier for a bigger farm than a small one to get a contractor when you need them.

johnboy6930

if i had a €300 diesel bill at the end of the year id be a happy man haha.. we are contractor with machinery ranging up to 5 30series john deere tractors to excavators and bulldozers burning anything up to 150-200 liters of diesel a day.
but its nice to get away from all the lark of contracting. and getting way from front suspension and climate control and all that..And pull out the ford 4000 and spread a bit of fert in the spring while we have the time..if you,d have no tractor on a farm there be some day were you will find some job for any size tractor big or small.from rolling or doing a bit of re-seeding down the line.and if it was possible to not get it taxed and all that.it would be a big save to you.if you werent doing road..

charityboy

you would pick up an old clean tractor with loader for around 5 grand for feeding you could still contract out the fertilizer and topping etc ,you could double the 15 an hour to 30 diesel and other costs are crazy at the moment

rliston

charityboy wrote: »

you could double the 15 an hour to 30 diesel and other costs are crazy at the moment

I was thinking the same myself, I can't see how you'd cover the costs of any tractor for €15/hr, not forgetting to allow for the other farmers time.

I'd nearly be looking for closer to €35

Pharaoh1

I use contractors for the usual hedgecutting, silage baling and slurry spreading (all imported pig) but I think some sort of tractor is essential.
I used to contract out topping and fertiliser spreading but these are the jobs that need to be done when they need to be done if you know what I mean.
Too often the topping was done a few days too late and a lot of growth can happen in peak growing season in a few days or the fertiliser was spread on a wet day or a week too late.
I bought a fairly rough 4000 ten years ago for less than 2k and have probably spent about 5k over the years doing it up 2k on full engine rebuild, 2k on cab, lights, bushings, bearings etc.. and then most recently complete set of new tyres. All the repairs were tax deductible and I now have a perfectly good tractor that I can use for as long as I want.
Depreciation is negligible as are repairs at this stage. Tax and insurance are less than 200 a year.
Ok if I was a bigger or full time farmer I would probably need a 4wd with loader etc.. but what I have is perfectly adequate.
The old heavy metal disease is alive and well though in my area - a neighbour spent 50k a few years ago on a new New Holland and it looks great driving up and down the road but for someone who owns 25 acres and rents a few more it hardly makes economic sense but I suppose it makes him happy.

bogman_bass

unless you are able to get somebody RELIABLE to do those small jobs for you you need a tractor. I'm a great believer in contracting out as much as possible and owning as little machinary as possible but when it comes to small but essential jobs like feeding its very hard to get the right person to do it.

You dont need 4wd. You dont need a loader. You said a 165 has done the job for you up to now so would you get another one?

Figerty

I see your point, but I don't think it will works a smoothly as you might like.

The big problem with not having a tractor is getting the jobs done when you want them done. Your neighbour won't be long abandoning you if he needs his fertiliser spread on the one fine day you might get.

There was a time when I could have worked that way.. small shed, forking out dung to a yard and drawing in small square bales to a shed. But feeding silage in round bales, clearing away waste and general tidying up does require some horsepower.

A 165 is a great workhorse and a spending a few euros on it will pay you back over time. How bad can it be that it can't be made reliably workable?

bbam

The previous poster is right.
Surely €3-4k spent on your tractor will have you going for another 10 years motoring. As a part time farmer it's doing the feeding/spreading/topping and the like that I enjoy and I couldnt imagine having someone else doing it.
We bought a 4wd case ih 885xl for €6.5k a few years ago and it easily does all field work we need, with basic maintenance I expect it will continue to work away.

lakill Farm

I would have to agree that a tractor is of benefit. I have a 99 lamborgini 1050 turbo. Bought it 18 months ago an use it for bale feeding, powerbox, fert spreader,topping & tipper trailer etc. 20 gallons of diesel would do my feeding over the winter. I do borrow a tanker for slurry and get contractor for hedges, baled silage and agitate.

You can save the price of the tractor in a few handy jobs, like drawing your turf or gravel, collecting bulk meal, moving cattle, drawing in bales.

Why not pick up a zetor , a 6911 (70hp) can be got for 2k and will do all th handy job

Tora Bora

lakill Farm wrote: »

I would have to agree that a tractor is of benefit. I have a 99 lamborgini 1050 turbo. Bought it 18 months ago an use it for bale feeding, powerbox, fert spreader,topping & tipper trailer etc. 20 gallons of diesel would do my feeding over the winter. I do borrow a tanker for slurry and get contractor for hedges, baled silage and agitate.

You can save the price of the tractor in a few handy jobs, like drawing your turf or gravel, collecting bulk meal, moving cattle, drawing in bales.

Why not pick up a zetor , a 6911 (70hp) can be got for 2k and will do all th handy job

The Zetor dealers are back:D:D

JohnBoy

He has to be one!

lakill Farm

JohnBoy wrote: »

He has to be one!

Life is better with a zetor . Ah no the auld lad has a 6911 2wd for bringing home the turf. spent the first 32 years in cavan and the first 10 years of her life no registered. She was built in 77 and on 87 plates:eek:

superstoner90

We have 165 ourselves. dose the job. JUST ABOUT!

surething25

Id just stick to the MF165 or upgrade it to a Ford 4600 with power steering

Ford4000

Always handy to have a tractor knockin about, saying that my tractor has done ZERO only lie in the yard with a fooked alternator since august !!! But it rolls and spreads fert in spring, knocks about with a transport box which is handy, cuts shakes and rows in the hay in summer and brings in the turf, Its a 3k International 474 by the way, Needs alternator now, 2 mudguard tops, lights and a respray !! all on the cards for next month !!

bozd

have a 1977 mf165 myself, antifreeze is leaking because pump needs replacing but it gets by, on winter feeding I run the tractor twice a week , once the tractor is mostly working and loader gets topped up it runs fine.

bought it for £2000 13 years ago and have spent little keeping it going-added power-steering 6 years ago - good for us in old age. it does an acre of ploughing, harrowing each year, not on road ever mind you - best money i ever spent.

these machines in their hayday were considered big for their time and perfectly adequate for a good sized farm - unless your engine is cracked or something i would definitely put money into it - spares are relatively cheap and least you know the history behind it; it could go on another few decades.

BeeDI

bogman_bass wrote: »

unless you are able to get somebody RELIABLE to do those small jobs for you you need a tractor. I'm a great believer in contracting out as much as possible and owning as little machinary as possible but when it comes to small but essential jobs like feeding its very hard to get the right person to do it.

You dont need 4wd. You dont need a loader. You said a 165 has done the job for you up to now so would you get another one?

Good man! There is another thread about loader tractors, where a bunch of fellas, agreed that "a tractor is useless without a loader"

Ford4000

BeeDI wrote: »

Good man! There is another thread about loader tractors, where a bunch of fellas, agreed that "a tractor is useless without a loader"

Bulls**t, depends entirely on your farming system, there a loader on my 474 and i must pull it off as its only in the way most of the time, used once since i bought it to lift the pz off the trailer when i brought it home

5live

BeeDI wrote: »

Good man! There is another thread about zetor loader tractors, where a bunch of fellas, agreed that "a zetor tractor is useless without a loader"

Fixed that for you;)

Figerty

A front loader is only for lads that can't have their feet pointing in one direction and their head in another...i.e. reversing.

epfff

Figerty wrote: »

A front loader is only for lads that can't have their feet pointing in one direction and their head in another...i.e. reversing.

Get a grip man
Its the best piece of equipmemt that came into yard
bar me jcb load all
only realy use tractor for mixing
jcb or contractor for everything else

BeeDI

5live wrote: »

Fixed that for you;)

:D Trouble is, the same lads reckon a Zetor is useless with or without a loader.:D

That makes me one useless f*#let.:eek:

f140

get an old tractor be it a massey 188 or ford 5000 or whatever. something in goodish condition. its an investment because realistically it will always be worth what you paid for it. its nearly safer to have a tractor than money in the bank now a days.

Farmer Pudsey

If you have a shed for your tractor watch out fopr a clean Massey 675 0r 690 2wd can be got for handy money are nearly as good as the 3 series Massey's just need to be in a dry shed (not a cattle shed) I know they rust but if it is clean when you get it it will be ok no comparrison with 165, 265, 290, etc

valtra8150

you said there they could go for another few decades. i think you got mixed up with could and will there

Farmer Pudsey

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2942673
this looks ok for the money if it is mechanically ok

Ford4000

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2942673
this looks ok for the money if it is mechanically ok

Looks a bit dickied up that yoke, wrong (home made) roof, twisted door, funny tail lights, home made back window, with that seat you would be sittin wild high in one of those, padding gone from inside cab and the back tyres shot, amazing what people think a lick of paint is worth when sellin !!!!

caseman

Ford4000 wrote: »

Looks a bit dickied up that yoke, wrong (home made) roof, twisted door, funny tail lights, home made back window, with that seat you would be sittin wild high in one of those, padding gone from inside cab and the back tyres shot, amazing what people think a lick of paint is worth when sellin !!!![/QUOTe

what would you want to get for 4 grand.
My brother gave e3500 for a push bik last year

Farmer Pudsey

Ford4000 wrote: »

Looks a bit dickied up that yoke, wrong (home made) roof, twisted door, funny tail lights, home made back window, with that seat you would be sittin wild high in one of those, padding gone from inside cab and the back tyres shot, amazing what people think a lick of paint is worth when sellin !!!![/QUOTE

He is looking for 4250 if you get for a good bit less than that get a good second hand seat not the type that is in it It has a loader and dung fork (worth5-700 euro? it is on the tractor) I think that it has better hydraulics than any 1 ,2 or 3 series massey and the back lift is better than any 1 or 2 series massey for that money if it is MECHANICALLY SOUND it probally not bad value and the lights are working I prefer it any wet dark winter night than some of the 165's you see

bogman_bass

Ford4000 wrote: »

Looks a bit dickied up that yoke, wrong (home made) roof, twisted door, funny tail lights, home made back window, with that seat you would be sittin wild high in one of those, padding gone from inside cab and the back tyres shot, amazing what people think a lick of paint is worth when sellin !!!!

at the end of the day do any of those points really mater? as long as its mechanically sound and the cab it weather proof I wouldnt give a damn.

If the OP is using a tractor as little as he says then I wouldnt worry about the seat

O.A.P

Ford4000 wrote: »

Looks a bit dickied up that yoke, wrong (home made) roof, twisted door, funny tail lights, home made back window, with that seat you would be sittin wild high in one of those, padding gone from inside cab and the back tyres shot, amazing what people think a lick of paint is worth when sellin !!!!

Its at least 35 years old and all they have replaced is the seat ?
Come on lads its painted up to sell for a big price. 1500 to dear IMO.

O.A.P

what would you want to get for 4 grand.
My brother gave e3500 for a push bik last year[quote)

A top bike I bet. I paid 1200 euro for a chainsaw a few years ago and I,m happy with it. Its got nothing to do with how much a tractor is worth though.

Farmer Pudsey

O.A.P wrote: »

Its at least 35 years old and all they have replaced is the seat ?
Come on lads its painted up to sell for a big price. 1500 to dear IMO.

maybe you are right however would you prefer these
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2950369
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2949647
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2642470
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2949443
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2905942
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tractors/2888698

O.A.P

The Zetor or the davy brown yep. 1000 for paint or what ever it needs and still 1000 for for diesel.

golfcruiser

just do it wrote: »

This is a question I've been dwelling on over since I put the cattle in. Like a lot of Irish farmers I'm a part-timer and always will be. Each year I've great intentions of doing this, that and the other but just never seem to get around to it.

So I've an auld MF165 that is on its knees at this stage. I've a few bits of machinery, but not much. The tractor is only really used for feeding, fertilising, and bringing in silage bales. I got a chain harrow at the end of '09 and have used it once, and only briefly. I've a topper that I've used a fair bit alright as the farm was let for nearly 30yrs till '07 and is now knackered. This year I didn't even spread the fertilizer!

So I've worked out there is about 3.5hrs tractor work a week involved in feeding the cattle. Lets say that comes to 24 weeks that gives 84hrs. I've a neighbour close by that I'd trust to do it. He passes by each day in his tractor as he has an outside holding. What rate per hour? I'm guessing €15. That comes to €1,260 for the winter.

Fertilizer - 20hrs?, bringing in bales - 30 hours?. 50 hours is another €750. So that's €2,000 give or take. Lets say another €500 for bits and pieces like topping (I've the worst of this done), spraying etc and that gives a total of €2,500 for the year.

€2,500 for the year, and that I think is being generous.

What does it cost to do all this yourself for the year?
Tractor depreciation €1,000, diesel €300, parts etc €300, machinery depreciation €300, Insurance & tax etc . All in all ~€2,000. My time €??? As the mastercard ad says "that's priceless"!

Also because I'm not that big into machinery, can't justify having a 30k tractor and all the bits of machinery you could collect, it would mean alot less hassle!

Your thoughts are welcome!

If you can get a reliable neighbour or maybe a young fella in the locality to do the tractor work for you, you could be as well off. Very hard to find a decent replacement for a 165 at reasonable money these days. Also you can get rid of your diesel tank if depending on neighbour!

Atilathehun

Speaking of tractors, what would a 1995 Fiat 100-90, with genuine 2,500 hours be worth.
It looks like this

valtra8150

it would be worth round 20k even over. but how can u be sure there genuine

redzerologhlen

valtra8150 wrote: »

it would be worth round 20k even over. but how can u be sure there genuine

We have one and a great tractor they are but for 20k you could get a lot more for your money!!

valtra8150

ya there a great yoke. its awful hard find a genuine 110-90. they were worked around the clock.

just do it

Thanks for all replies lads. I'd guessed it would wander into a list of cheap tractors;).

So I've decided to stick with having a tractor. Why?

• Even if I get a fella to do the winter feeding I'll still have to wander down to the shed to check the cattle.
• It will make sure I check the cattle every day! Could get lazy otherwise:rolleyes:
• Kids like going in the tractor with their daddy - how could you deny them?
• Transport box use - fencing fencing fencing!!!
• I've broken the fields up into paddocks so at times I'll just want to throw 1 bag of fertilizer out

So now the question is what to do? Spend a few bob on the 165 or change? I'll start a new thread for that one...

just do it

I should also add that I've nearly gotten the farm infrastructure set up now so will have more time for grassland management - heaven knows because it's heavy land that's boggy in places it needs it:D. I took back the farm 4 years ago, built a slatted shed, and have spent morning, noon and night fencing and plumbing!! It's gone from a 50ac block run in 3 parcels, very over grown, lots of poached rushy land to having a slatted shed, roadway running from it, silage field, and 24 paddocks!

And it's been slow because of work that requires quite a bit of travel and commitment to my wife that I'd not let it eat into time with the kids, it means a lot of the work has been done between 5am-7am and after 8pm in the evenings.

Not an unfamiliar story to alot of you I know! The farm had been leased for nearly 30 years so it was like starting from scratch. I completely underestimated the time involved in doing all the work!

So all that means I'll be using the tractor a bit more;). Again it will be an hour or two here and there rather than regular full day's work.

9935452

rliston wrote: »

I was thinking the same myself, I can't see how you'd cover the costs of any tractor for €15/hr, not forgetting to allow for the other farmers time.

I'd nearly be looking for closer to €35

Contractor i work for wont let any tractor out of the yard for less than 35 an hour.

A good driver is costing nearly 20 an hour, plus running costs of the tractor

20silkcut

just do it wrote: »

I should also add that I've nearly gotten the farm infrastructure set up now so will have more time for grassland management - heaven knows because it's heavy land that's boggy in places it needs it:D. I took back the farm 4 years ago, built a slatted shed, and have spent morning, noon and night fencing and plumbing!! It's gone from a 50ac block run in 3 parcels, very over grown, lots of poached rushy land to having a slatted shed, roadway running from it, silage field, and 24 paddocks!

And it's been slow because of work that requires quite a bit of travel and commitment to my wife that I'd not let it eat into time with the kids, it means a lot of the work has been done between 5am-7am and after 8pm in the evenings.

Not an unfamiliar story to alot of you I know! The farm had been leased for nearly 30 years so it was like starting from scratch. I completely underestimated the time involved in doing all the work!

So all that means I'll be using the tractor a bit more;). Again it will be an hour or two here and there rather than regular full day's work.

Sounds very similar to my own situation.
Are you completely free of outsiders or do you still sell a few fields of silage?
Are you stocked to your full acreage?
If so how long did it take?
How did you do it?
Buy in calves?
make a good match for yourself lol?
Sorry for the nosy questions.
But I suppose the anonymity of a forum allows the normal rules of inquisition to be bent slightly.
I had a neighbouring farmer telling me,just the other day, it would take me 200 grand to get going and I should basically give it up and let the land to him.
So I need to hear stories of encouragement .
Would rather live in abject poverty than let any neighbouring farmers in around the place anyway. So am utterly determined to prove that it can be done with a decent sfp and a committed attitude. And that neighbour can go and stick his 200 grand.

just do it

20silkcut wrote: »

Sounds very similar to my own situation. Are you completely free of outsiders or do you still sell a few fields of silage?

No, a bit more history required! The lad that was renting the place between 94 and 08 is a friend. I'd been threatening to take it back nearly every year of those 14 years! He still has the main silage field (there are 2) as I don't have the stocking density for it. I'm lucky that I've great neighbours and I've 5 or 6 farmers I can call on if I'm stuck (I keep the calls for help to a minimum though!)

20silkcut wrote: »

Are you stocked to your full acreage?

No, but getting there. I was going to buy in last Spring but I felt prices were too high, if only I knew then what I know now!

20silkcut wrote: »

If so how long did it take?

I owned some stock during the period when it was let so I wasn't starting completely from scratch.

20silkcut wrote: »

How did you do it?

As above. I've been breeding my own as well and after 4 years using AI the quality is starting to come through. I could have higher stock numbers at this stage but I was ruthless enough when it came to culling, particularly wild cows!

20silkcut wrote: »

Buy in calves?

No not calves. I did buy in 10 1st calvers with calves at foot in 09 and only have 5 of those left. Lost money on them definitely but putting it down to the learning curve. I'm at the stage now where I can increase the nos of cows calving by ~20-25% each year through my own replacements.

Having said all that I'm contemplating buying LMxFR heifer calves next spring and rearing them. The advantage I see in this is only looking at using a terminal sire for everything. (Search boards for a thread a few weeks back called "sucklers")

20silkcut wrote: »

make a good match for yourself lol?

She moved home with me with the ring on the finger and 2 months from halving our first born;). If only she knew what she was letting herself in for!

20silkcut wrote: »

Sorry for the nosy questions.
But I suppose the anonymity of a forum allows the normal rules of inquisition to be bent slightly.
I had a neighbouring farmer telling me,just the other day, it would take me 200 grand to get going and I should basically give it up and let the land to him.
So I need to hear stories of encouragement .
Would rather live in abject poverty than let any neighbouring farmers in around the place anyway. So am utterly determined to prove that it can be done with a decent sfp and a committed attitude. And that neighbour can go and stick his 200 grand.

I spent around ~100k straight off. I got 44k of a grant towards the shed. There was no winter housing there when I took it over. You couldn't drive down into the farm with out being scraped by briars at that stage! That leaves me with a 56k loan. The shed allowed me enter REPS which was originally for ~6.5k or or ~30k over 5 years. So at the time my reckoning was it cost me ~30k to get in. Now I have a 4 bay slatted shed with a creep area to the back. Behind this is a handling yard with a long crush. I also have a silage slab which I'm using as a concrete yard.

Hope this helps, I've found this forum brilliant so I'm glad if I can be of help to some else.

Best of luck!

Farmer Pudsey

20silkcut wrote: »

Sounds very similar to my own situation.
Are you completely free of outsiders or do you still sell a few fields of silage?
Are you stocked to your full acreage?
If so how long did it take?
How did you do it?
Buy in calves?
make a good match for yourself lol?
Sorry for the nosy questions.
But I suppose the anonymity of a forum allows the normal rules of inquisition to be bent slightly.
I had a neighbouring farmer telling me,just the other day, it would take me 200 grand to get going and I should basically give it up and let the land to him.
So I need to hear stories of encouragement .
Would rather live in abject poverty than let any neighbouring farmers in around the place anyway. So am utterly determined to prove that it can be done with a decent sfp and a committed attitude. And that neighbour can go and stick his 200 grand.

If you have the land and intrest you have half the battle won. It is never easy and you will not make a fortune. However do you see the state of some places that are rented after 5 or 6 years. Nobody will look after your land like yourself.

It is a bit harder now to get started as no REPS and no building grants. Cattle are much more expensive. On the plus side to building is a lot cheaper and there is not much of a difference between the cost with or without grant.

Decide on your stratgy and stick to it sucklers, calf to store, store to beef. My own reckoning is that unless you are at the top end of the sucklers it is very hard to make money out of them. If there is a bit of dairy expansion I cannot see calf prices getting more expensive so there may be an option to enter production at a reasonable cost. Remember to obtain a margin of 800 before costs a 400 euro calf has to make 1200 euro while a 200 euro calf has only to make 1000, and you can by two calves.

Username John

20silkcut wrote: »

Sounds very similar to my own situation.
Are you completely free of outsiders or do you still sell a few fields of silage?
Are you stocked to your full acreage?
If so how long did it take?
How did you do it?
Buy in calves?
make a good match for yourself lol?
Sorry for the nosy questions.
But I suppose the anonymity of a forum allows the normal rules of inquisition to be bent slightly.
I had a neighbouring farmer telling me,just the other day, it would take me 200 grand to get going and I should basically give it up and let the land to him.
So I need to hear stories of encouragement .
Would rather live in abject poverty than let any neighbouring farmers in around the place anyway. So am utterly determined to prove that it can be done with a decent sfp and a committed attitude. And that neighbour can go and stick his 200 grand.

Hi 20silkcut,
Not sure if this will encourage you, but i am in a similar position to yerself & just_do_it. Although I only have some sheep, no cattle. So maybe its not that helpful for you...

Moved home 4 years ago.
The place wasn't let out, but it wasn't in great shape either. There was only a few sheep here when I came home, fields overgrown, majority of the farm is one block, but internal ditches were all half knocked. The external ditches were poor, so stock couldn't be forced to bare down fields.

Since I came home, I have
Put up a lot of sheepwire, and am only about half way there
The one block is now ~10 paddocks, and will increase to 13 in time
Reclaimed / Reseeded about 18 acres (so far)
Increased stock by keeping a lot of the ewe lambs, bought a few more
Put up a shed (3bay x 2bay) for lambing
Put a passageway through the farm to help access

Most of the work is done in the eve + all day Saturday.

20silkcut wrote: »

Are you completely free of outsiders or do you still sell a few fields of silage?

I sold silage again this year, and would like to continue to do so every year.
The way you phrase it "free of outsiders" is interesting. I sense you don't like it? May I ask why?

20silkcut wrote: »

Are you stocked to your full acreage?

No - and wont be for a while. I would prefer a happy medium of have enough + be able to sell surplus grass than try to balance it all on a knife edge.
I am still trying to find a system which suits me best to be honest - numbers, breeds, lambing time... constantly changing and debating in my head.

20silkcut wrote: »

If so how long did it take?

Am at it 4 years now. How long will it take - a lifetime I imagine

20silkcut wrote: »

How did you do it?

As I have sheep only, doesn't really apply. I mostly kept my own ewe lambs. In hindsight, I was too eager to increase numbers and kept some that were poor for breeding. So I think I might do a big cull this year.

20silkcut wrote: »

make a good match for yourself lol?

Married the year we came home. Like just_do_it said - if only she knew what she was in for.

20silkcut wrote: »

Sorry for the nosy questions.
But I suppose the anonymity of a forum allows the normal rules of inquisition to be bent slightly.

I was lucky in my timing - I got REPS of about 6k / year, so that helps with a lot of the reclaiming & fencing.
I also got the Installation aid, so that paid for the shed.

I didn't take out a loan, as I wanted the farm to support itself from the start. But I know I put in a few thousand from my own pocket too over the 4 years, in small bits and pieces.

20silkcut wrote: »

I had a neighbouring farmer telling me,just the other day, it would take me 200 grand to get going and I should basically give it up and let the land to him.
So I need to hear stories of encouragement .
Would rather live in abject poverty than let any neighbouring farmers in around the place anyway. So am utterly determined to prove that it can be done with a decent sfp and a committed attitude. And that neighbour can go and stick his 200 grand.

Not sure I offered much encouragement.
But a lot can be done year on year, bit by bit.
As for the neighbour and his 200k - maybe he is right, but its not his farm, so fcuk him.

20silkcut wrote: »

Would rather live in abject poverty than let any neighbouring farmers in around the place anyway.

No one knows what the future holds really... Your wife and kids to come might not feel the same about the poverty.

I am sure you will do fine as you say with a good attitude + a good SFP to finance things.

I would advise caution on the thinking such as "outsiders" & "let any neighbouring farmers in"
I am not saying you should start considering it - but don't rule things out, which may financially impact you or your family, for no real reason

Hope I helped - and best of luck with it

20silkcut

Thanks guys for those very comprehensive answers.

I missed out on the installation aid myself because I had no job and needed 50 income units from farming. I think the requirement if you had a job was 20 income units.
I was approved for the shed grant but would have to borrow too much and have plenty of sheds anyways and few enough animals.

Username john , I am not against outsiders coming in but I have been unlucky over the years with guys leaving massive ruts in fields and bending gates and guys tracking across other guys silage and then having to chase lads for money etc. It's just messy. This year I have 4 different farmers taking silage off me. Some of them are the finest, some are a pain in the ass ringing me losing it when they see tracks across their field or a gate open.

At the moment I am operating off an sfp of about 15,000 rearing 18 calves, no off farm job, finished reps 3 this year. Still have the DAS. Yes finances are tight. But am single stay at home son LOL so the outgoings are small and every spare penny gets re-invested. Small scale and all as it is I am truly a full time farmer. It is a frugal lifestyle but immensley satisfying. Few things in life can compare to the satisfaction of rearing thriving calves.