cattle trailer

emaherx · 30-03-2021 10:59AM

memorystick wrote: »

Would I be cheeky to ask how much it was? A jeep trailer for a tractor is not the answer

It was about €10,500 I think, which is a lot more than the Bridgeway, but it has welded aluminum sides and floor, sprung drawbar and a higher speed axle. So this trailer will probably see me out even if I upgrade the tractor at some point.

I rang a lot of places at the time and new tractor trailer prices varied from 5,000 to 16,000 all 18ft.

5000 was a timber clad Eureka Trailer and 16,000 was a fully galvanized chassis from Hudson.

Bass Reeves · 30-03-2021 01:06PM

I think you would want to spending 3k+ per year on transport before you could consider spending 10 k on a livestock trailer. A tractor livestock trailer is really limited to sub 50 mile trips each way.

wrangler · 30-03-2021 01:20PM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I think you would want to spending 3k+ per year on transport before you could consider spending 10 k on a livestock trailer. A tractor livestock trailer is really limited to sub 50 mile trips each way.

Once it's paid for it costs you nothing, it's not a high maintenance machine, it's invaluable if you have a fragmented farm.
The day for walking animals on the road is past, even if you could get the help

Grueller · 30-03-2021 01:53PM

While I agree with wrangler above, I bought 5 cows a month ago. I couldn't draw them myself as the jeep was in the garage getting a few small bits tidied. I rang a local young lad that hauls cattle before I left. He said no bother, I headed home and started to milk. When I was on the last line in swings the young lad and drops the cows in the collection yard. I milked them with my cows there and then and out with them.
If my jeep was going I would have been 2 hours or more later that evening. I would have spent €20 on diesel. The young lad charged me €50. I think it was the cheapest work I have had done in a long while.

Bass Reeves · 30-03-2021 02:20PM

It all about organisation. While alit of different pieces of equipment will hold there value and may or may not be low maintenance equipment has to pay for itself.

As I posted earlier you will buy a 12X6 box suitable for a tractor for 1500 euro. Most lads will have some description of a cow box whether it is 10X6, 8X5 or smaller. It amazing what you can do with organisation. For the few time you need to shift a big load there is lot of lads that will shift a load of cattle 20-30 miles for a 100-150 euro and that is paying by cheque. It may not be at the exact time you want it but 8k is a lot of money.

Like I said you would want to be having a bill of over 3k/ year before I spend that kind of money on a trailer. And I have only walked an animal.onnthe road when for some reason they got out

Bass Reeves · 30-03-2021 02:23PM

Grueller wrote: »

While I agree with wrangler above, I bought 5 cows a month ago. I couldn't draw them myself as the jeep was in the garage getting a few small bits tidied. I rang a local young lad that hauls cattle before I left. He said no bother, I headed home and started to milk. When I was on the last line in swings the young lad and drops the cows in the collection yard. I milked them with my cows there and then and out with them.
If my jeep was going I would have been 2 hours or more later that evening. I would have spent €20 on diesel. The young lad charged me €50. I think it was the cheapest work I have had done in a long while.

The milk off the 5 cows would nearly have paid him. I presume it was cash you paid him if it was by cheque and it may have been it's the point I am.making.

TBH it all about organisation.

memorystick · 30-03-2021 02:40PM

It’s cruel handy to go to a mart and bring home your own stock. Everything is dear the first day. If you’re paying €1000 or more on haulage per year I think it’s a good investment. There’s lads spending a fortune on 12 foot trailers for the bog and we know where that’s going.

Albert Johnson · 30-03-2021 02:42PM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

The milk off the 5 cows would nearly have paid him. I presume it was cash you paid him if it was by cheque and it may have been it's the point I am.making.

TBH it all about organisation.

Without knowing the circumstances involved, time taken, distance travelled ect it's hard to comment but at €50 the young lad wasn't at much if he had far to travel. Diesel cost's have skyrocketed again and I'd reckon you'd want €100 for much of a draw but I don't know the ins and outs of the story and Grueller paid what he was asked.

If you had a fragmented farm and a tractor capable and road worthy to do the haulage then I could see worse investments. Some yards aren't that suited to a lorry and a jeep and a 12x6 or even 14x6 isn't comparable to a 18 foot tractor trailer imo. You'll shift twice the stock in roughly the same time with less diesel costs compared to the jeep. I've spent time hauling stock with jeeps and trailers and there grand for handy runs with smaller number's but if you're looking to move groups over a distance you'd be further on with a lorry or tractor trailer, less cost and time involved.

Hershall · 30-03-2021 02:54PM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It all about organisation. While alit of different pieces of equipment will hold there value and may or may not be low maintenance equipment has to pay for itself.

As I posted earlier you will buy a 12X6 box suitable for a tractor for 1500 euro. Most lads will have some description of a cow box whether it is 10X6, 8X5 or smaller. It amazing what you can do with organisation. For the few time you need to shift a big load there is lot of lads that will shift a load of cattle 20-30 miles for a 100-150 euro and that is paying by cheque. It may not be at the exact time you want it but 8k is a lot of money.

Like I said you would want to be having a bill of over 3k/ year before I spend that kind of money on a trailer. And I have only walked an animal.onnthe road when for some reason they got out

I bought a triaxle in 2019 as the young lads use it behind the tractor and hated the big cattle trailer for reversing etc.
In 2001 the tractor trailer cost 4500 new and 18 years later i got 4000 for it well minded now.
Amazing how machinery keeps its value compared to cars or jeeps.

emaherx · 30-03-2021 04:15PM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I think you would want to spending 3k+ per year on transport before you could consider spending 10 k on a livestock trailer. A tractor livestock trailer is really limited to sub 50 mile trips each way.

I assume your farm is in one or two parcels

Cattle trailer is the most important piece of equipment here. Not sure where you get the 3k+ figure from as it will be written off over 8 years and used for the next 30 years.

Moving 20 plus cattle between out farms is no fun with a jeep trailer and even less so when pulled by a tractor.

wrangler · 30-03-2021 04:35PM

Albert Johnson wrote: »

Without knowing the circumstances involved, time taken, distance travelled ect it's hard to comment but at €50 the young lad wasn't at much if he had far to travel. Diesel cost's have skyrocketed again and I'd reckon you'd want €100 for much of a draw but I don't know the ins and outs of the story and Grueller paid what he was asked.

If you had a fragmented farm and a tractor capable and road worthy to do the haulage then I could see worse investments. Some yards aren't that suited to a lorry and a jeep and a 12x6 or even 14x6 isn't comparable to a 18 foot tractor trailer imo. You'll shift twice the stock in roughly the same time with less diesel costs compared to the jeep. I've spent time hauling stock with jeeps and trailers and there grand for handy runs with smaller number's but if you're looking to move groups over a distance you'd be further on with a lorry or tractor trailer, less cost and time involved.

Two farmers that were interested in my trailer had lorries of their own and both said you won't get a lorry in everywhere, especially on rented land, Some rented farms still have 10 ft gates
I often had to move 4-500 sheep to a shed when we'd be trying to get shearing done in broken weather and if I was using the tractor it'd be from land that a lorry wouldn't get to.
Until you have a trailer of your own you won't appreciate them.

Albert Johnson · 30-03-2021 05:11PM

wrangler wrote: »

Two farmers that were interested in my trailer had lorries of their own and both said you won't get a lorry in everywhere, especially on rented land, Some rented farms still have 10 ft gates
I often had to move 4-500 sheep to a shed when we'd be trying to get shearing done in broken weather and if I was using the tractor it'd be from land that a lorry wouldn't get to.
Until you have a trailer of your own you won't appreciate them.

A mid sized lorry with something like an 18- 20 foot body is as close to an ideal setup as you'll get imo. Easy maneuvered, capable of carrying a volume of stock, not too hard ran and as comfortable as a car to drive. However it's not meant for anything only tar or concrete yards and it doesn't take much of a soft spot for it to require a tow out.

I wouldn't be a fan of tractor trailers but I see how they suit a lot of setups. If you had a tractor that was capable and reasonably comfortable you'd shift a lot of stock on your ease and not be worrying about mucky gaps, slippy hill's ect. I try to avoid tractor work if possible mostly because the yolks I grew up driving had driver comfort very far down the list of priorities. However with modern tractors that shouldn't be an issue.

A tractor trailer isn't exactly mega money even new and it's not something that depreciates rapidly or requires huge maintenance. Take it that a new Ivor Williams or similar would be more than half the price of most of the trailers quoted in this thread. You'll only carry half the stock on a jeep trailer and tbh there only meant for use behind a jeep. Towing them through land and rough spots behind the tractor doesn't do them much justice over time. If you already had a good tractor that done the rest of the work on the farm and only needed a car or similar for off farm work/commitments then I'd reckon a tractor trailer was a better purchase than a jeep and standard trailer.

memorystick · 30-03-2021 05:34PM

emaherx wrote: »

I assume your farm is in one or two parcels

Cattle trailer is the most important piece of equipment here. Not sure where you get the 3k+ figure from as it will be written off over 8 years and used for the next 30 years.

Moving 20 plus cattle between out farms is no fun with a jeep trailer and even less so when pulled by a tractor.

How does a jeep trailer handle behind a tractor? I’ve no experience. I’ve seen a few triaxles with the wheels underneath the body for sale. What are they like?

emaherx · 30-03-2021 05:44PM

memorystick wrote: »

How does a jeep trailer handle behind a tractor? I’ve no experience. I’ve seen a few triaxles with the wheels underneath the body for sale. What are they like?

Grand pulled, but I find it more difficult to reverse a jeep trailer on a tractor compared to the same trailer on a jeep or a tractor trailer, but maybe that's just me.

Albert Johnson · 30-03-2021 05:45PM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Problem with the lorry setup is that you have additional maintenance headache of the truck and if it is not in frequent use then it can become a money pit. Unlike a trailer which can be parked up over the winter and left virtually harm free.
Plus you'd need to put the truck through its annual CVRT at €140 - €170.
You'd want something over 7.5T as the lighter ones will only be fit for about 4T payload (~6cows @ 675kg) as their unladen weight is around the 3.5T mark. I think that puts you into HGV license weights. Plus insurance and tank loads of diesel you don't need for a tractor drawn trailer.

Interesting to read all the differing opinions.

You'd need to be using a lorry regularly to justify it's upkeep and I'm not suggesting that there the best option for everyone. IF you had sufficient work then they'd be the best all round solution imo but there's a reason that most lads run jeep or tractor trailers for occasional work.

A tractor trailer offers similar capacity but a fraction of the cost compared to a lorry and you can park it up when not in use without complications like CVRT tests, upkeep, tax ect and anyone can operate a tractor and trailer where as you'd need a C licence for a lorry. To get back to the point a tractor trailer isn't the most expensive bit of kit you could buy, if and when needed it's very useful and most lads would already be running a tractor capable of operating it.

wrangler · 30-03-2021 05:49PM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Problem with the lorry setup is that you have additional maintenance headache of the truck and if it is not in frequent use then it can become a money pit. Unlike a trailer which can be parked up over the winter and left virtually harm free.
Plus you'd need to put the truck through its annual CVRT at €140 - €170.
You'd want something over 7.5T as the lighter ones will only be fit for about 4T payload (~6cows @ 675kg) as their unladen weight is around the 3.5T mark. I think that puts you into HGV license weights. Plus insurance and tank loads of diesel you don't need for a tractor drawn trailer.

Interesting to read all the differing opinions.

The ideal of course is the lift off body, I often wished I could take the body off my cattle trailer here to draw bales

emaherx · 30-03-2021 06:08PM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

IW underslung used to be demountable - I've not seen anyone do it though. Johnston and a few others do demountable tractor drawn livestock trailers - I think Olly's Farm on YT has one.

In theory I'd agree, in practice you'd pay nearly as much as 2 trailers. If you had 2 trailers you wouldn't need to worry about mounting/dismounting the body.

wrangler · 30-03-2021 06:23PM

emaherx wrote: »

In theory I'd agree, in practice you'd pay nearly as much as 2 trailers. If you had 2 trailers you wouldn't need to worry about mounting/dismounting the body.

But you'd have to look at the bale trailer doing nothing and rusting away for 10 mths of the year.
You'd see a lot of demount bodies in England

emaherx · 30-03-2021 06:48PM

wrangler wrote: »

But you'd have to look at the bale trailer doing nothing and rusting away for 10 mths of the year.
You'd see a lot of demount bodies in England

A decent flat trailer certainly will not sit idle 10 months of the year around here. But it's a fair point, all of our farm operations are different and we all have our own priorities so we'll never all completely agree on what's best.

I'd actually keep a bale trailer busy enough in the winter as silage made on the furthest out farm often stays there till it's needed, then there is transporting other goods between out farms. When your farm is spread out decent trailers are important.

Grueller · 30-03-2021 09:38PM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

The milk off the 5 cows would nearly have paid him. I presume it was cash you paid him if it was by cheque and it may have been it's the point I am.making.

TBH it all about organisation.

Cheque

josephsoap · 30-03-2021 10:14PM

How many ~ 650kg cows would you fit in an 18 x 7 tractor trailer ?

Albert Johnson · 30-03-2021 10:29PM

josephsoap wrote: »

How many ~ 650kg cows would you fit in an 18 x 7 tractor trailer ?

8 or 9 comfortably I'd imagine

Bass Reeves · 30-03-2021 10:37PM

Lads need a lesson in economics and business. I was talking to a lad Eastern Europe and one thing he pointed out was that in school and in trades training there is micro business and finance management in there schools.. It very easy to say a yoke is handy whether it is a slurry tank, mower, hedge cutter, post drive or a cattle box. Even if nearly maintaining value a euro for euro basis over 15-20 year that is not a reality. 4.5K in 2001 is worth 10-12 k if invested elsewhere.

The first thing while a box for a tractor is a good piece of kit it is limited. It only really of use going to the mart if you are going to a mart 10-20 miles from you. If I am going to a mart even that distance away while I might hook up an 8X5 box I definitely will not hook up a tractor and trailer. Why did I say you would need 3K in transport costs before you should consider a 10K investment. First off from all the hauling I get done I reckon 50% of the money I pay is going on fuel and maintenance costs if not more than that. Most lads hauling are not driving Audi's or BMW's around. Next you will not eliminate all your costs you will not hook up the trailer and box to collect 2 or 3 weanlings or stores from a mart. As well if you land in the morning of a mart with a big trailer and usually are not at that mart you will pay 20-50 more per head than if you arrive unannounced.

like I said I buy 60 and sell 60 cattle in a year. I haul to and from both mart and factory in a RAV and 8X5 box and use hired transport for larger loads. If you have 20 cattle to go to an out farm there are plenty of lads that will pick them up and drop them 10 miles away for 7-10/head. its there diesel they are burning its there maintenance and as well you do not have to wash out the box. I only had one real sh!tty day last year I had to bring 8-9 stores from a mart 40 miles away. The biggest clusterfook was the way lads were allowed to clog up loading bays and wuld still be an issue with a tractor and box it took two journeys with my 8X5. My usual lad would have collected them for 100-120 euro. He has a small 16' truck but was gone from the mart and busy the following day. And after bringing them home I had to was the box.

A tractor box is a good piece of kit but you need work to justify it just like a truck or a landcruiser. Recently a friend of mine needed some silage I dropped him over 6 bales two at the time in his small 10X5 plant trailer. Now I have access to that plant trailer if I need it.

On the tax side of it haulage costs are tax deductable just like depreciation so there is no tax advantage. The final thing is while the box is virtually maintenance free the tractor is not. Its easy enough to get a tyre on a jeep or box replaced even full of cattle. Trying to get a wheel sorted on a tractor or large box on the side of the road is a different thing. If a haulier breaks down he has has 3-4 lads that he can call to get him sorted have you, I know I have not.

On boxes it easy enough to buy a 12X6 box there are a lot of them around as lads have upgraded to 14X6 or even 16X6. 14X6 even in poor condition will set you back4K. the 12X6 is in the 12-1500 euro bracket. Avoid underslung wheels like the plague box is libel to turn over. Try and get a box with large wheels on it.

J.O. Farmer · 30-03-2021 11:13PM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

As well if you land in the morning of a mart with a big trailer and usually are not at that mart you will pay 20-50 more per head than if you arrive unannounced.

Most of your post has a good basis but the above is paranoia.

Do you think the boys round the ring are looking at who drove in with what.

I think they'll notice you bidding anyway and they'll know you weren't there the previous week. If you want to buy more than 2 or 3 they'll notice that too. Even if they don't know it's you they'll know it's not one of themselves.

Anyway you're hardly likely to bring the tractor and trailer until you've actually bought.

Bass Reeves · 30-03-2021 11:22PM

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Most of your post has a good basis but the above is paranoia.

Do you think the boys round the ring are looking at who drove in with what.

I think they'll notice you bidding anyway and they'll know you weren't there the previous week. If you want to buy more than 2 or 3 they'll notice that too. Even if they don't know it's you they'll know it's not one of themselves.

Anyway you're hardly likely to bring the tractor and trailer until you've actually bought.

No they do not but one lad will notice and pass the word around. It hard enough buying cattle in a strange mart without announcing you are looking to buy 8-12 cattle. I made the point already about hooking on a trailer to a jeep as opposed to a one on a tractor. But if travelling 40 miles to a mart is not possible really in a tractor and box it easier to try to sort transport

emaherx · 31-03-2021 06:59AM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Lads need a lesson in economics and business. I was talking to a lad Eastern Europe and one thing he pointed out was that in school and in trades training there is micro business and finance management in there schools.. It very easy to say a yoke is handy whether it is a slurry tank, mower, hedge cutter, post drive or a cattle box. Even if nearly maintaining value a euro for euro basis over 15-20 year that is not a reality. 4.5K in 2001 is worth 10-12 k if invested elsewhere.

The first thing while a box for a tractor is a good piece of kit it is limited. It only really of use going to the mart if you are going to a mart 10-20 miles from you. If I am going to a mart even that distance away while I might hook up an 8X5 box I definitely will not hook up a tractor and trailer. Why did I say you would need 3K in transport costs before you should consider a 10K investment. First off from all the hauling I get done I reckon 50% of the money I pay is going on fuel and maintenance costs if not more than that. Most lads hauling are not driving Audi's or BMW's around. Next you will not eliminate all your costs you will not hook up the trailer and box to collect 2 or 3 weanlings or stores from a mart. As well if you land in the morning of a mart with a big trailer and usually are not at that mart you will pay 20-50 more per head than if you arrive unannounced.

like I said I buy 60 and sell 60 cattle in a year. I haul to and from both mart and factory in a RAV and 8X5 box and use hired transport for larger loads. If you have 20 cattle to go to an out farm there are plenty of lads that will pick them up and drop them 10 miles away for 7-10/head. its there diesel they are burning its there maintenance and as well you do not have to wash out the box. I only had one real sh!tty day last year I had to bring 8-9 stores from a mart 40 miles away. The biggest clusterfook was the way lads were allowed to clog up loading bays and wuld still be an issue with a tractor and box it took two journeys with my 8X5. My usual lad would have collected them for 100-120 euro. He has a small 16' truck but was gone from the mart and busy the following day. And after bringing them home I had to was the box.

A tractor box is a good piece of kit but you need work to justify it just like a truck or a landcruiser. Recently a friend of mine needed some silage I dropped him over 6 bales two at the time in his small 10X5 plant trailer. Now I have access to that plant trailer if I need it.

On the tax side of it haulage costs are tax deductable just like depreciation so there is no tax advantage. The final thing is while the box is virtually maintenance free the tractor is not. Its easy enough to get a tyre on a jeep or box replaced even full of cattle. Trying to get a wheel sorted on a tractor or large box on the side of the road is a different thing. If a haulier breaks down he has has 3-4 lads that he can call to get him sorted have you, I know I have not.

On boxes it easy enough to buy a 12X6 box there are a lot of them around as lads have upgraded to 14X6 or even 16X6. 14X6 even in poor condition will set you back4K. the 12X6 is in the 12-1500 euro bracket. Avoid underslung wheels like the plague box is libel to turn over. Try and get a box with large wheels on it.

You still seem to assume the trailer is just for going to the mart. I have to admit it would be nice to have a single block of land with no need for the constant use of a trailer, I'd probably agree with you then.

Moving 20+ cattle at a time regularly between outfarms with a small trailer is nothing short of a pain in the hole, especially in years like 2018 when we were all struggling for grass. The bigger trailer also reduces safety risks, with less loading/unloading, less getting caught out by poor light if cattle need to be moved of an Autumn evening and less fatigue. It's also easier to recruit some volunteers to load a trailer twice compared to 10+ times.

I work off farm for my main income, the farm is profitable but just not large enough for a full time income, I've spent the last few years investing in things to make life easier, so economically I could possibly of spent the money better elsewhere, but spending money to reduce labour is also money well spent in my opinion.

emaherx · 31-03-2021 07:02AM

Albert Johnson wrote: »

8 or 9 comfortably I'd imagine

About that, I'd rarely pack the trailer too tight, as usually have calves at foot.

wrangler · 31-03-2021 07:56AM

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Lads need a lesson in economics and business. I was talking to a lad Eastern Europe and one thing he pointed out was that in school and in trades training there is micro business and finance management in there schools.. It very easy to say a yoke is handy whether it is a slurry tank, mower, hedge cutter, post drive or a cattle box. Even if nearly maintaining value a euro for euro basis over 15-20 year that is not a reality. 4.5K in 2001 is worth 10-12 k if invested elsewhere.

The first thing while a box for a tractor is a good piece of kit it is limited. It only really of use going to the mart if you are going to a mart 10-20 miles from you. If I am going to a mart even that distance away while I might hook up an 8X5 box I definitely will not hook up a tractor and trailer. Why did I say you would need 3K in transport costs before you should consider a 10K investment. First off from all the hauling I get done I reckon 50% of the money I pay is going on fuel and maintenance costs if not more than that. Most lads hauling are not driving Audi's or BMW's around. Next you will not eliminate all your costs you will not hook up the trailer and box to collect 2 or 3 weanlings or stores from a mart. As well if you land in the morning of a mart with a big trailer and usually are not at that mart you will pay 20-50 more per head than if you arrive unannounced.

like I said I buy 60 and sell 60 cattle in a year. I haul to and from both mart and factory in a RAV and 8X5 box and use hired transport for larger loads. If you have 20 cattle to go to an out farm there are plenty of lads that will pick them up and drop them 10 miles away for 7-10/head. its there diesel they are burning its there maintenance and as well you do not have to wash out the box. I only had one real sh!tty day last year I had to bring 8-9 stores from a mart 40 miles away. The biggest clusterfook was the way lads were allowed to clog up loading bays and wuld still be an issue with a tractor and box it took two journeys with my 8X5. My usual lad would have collected them for 100-120 euro. He has a small 16' truck but was gone from the mart and busy the following day. And after bringing them home I had to was the box.

A tractor box is a good piece of kit but you need work to justify it just like a truck or a landcruiser. Recently a friend of mine needed some silage I dropped him over 6 bales two at the time in his small 10X5 plant trailer. Now I have access to that plant trailer if I need it.

On the tax side of it haulage costs are tax deductable just like depreciation so there is no tax advantage. The final thing is while the box is virtually maintenance free the tractor is not. Its easy enough to get a tyre on a jeep or box replaced even full of cattle. Trying to get a wheel sorted on a tractor or large box on the side of the road is a different thing. If a haulier breaks down he has has 3-4 lads that he can call to get him sorted have you, I know I have not.

On boxes it easy enough to buy a 12X6 box there are a lot of them around as lads have upgraded to 14X6 or even 16X6. 14X6 even in poor condition will set you back4K. the 12X6 is in the 12-1500 euro bracket. Avoid underslung wheels like the plague box is libel to turn over. Try and get a box with large wheels on it.

I used to help a neighbour that used to hire a lorry to move stock, it's not as simple as you you say, there's few small lorries around here and the the guy moving cattle for €50 is wasting his time. The lorry eventually got stuck and wouldn't do it again,
It's up to everyone to prioritise what they do. I know I never regretted having the trailer and sold it twenty years later for what I paid for it and didn't even put a tyre on it so in effect all my livestock transport cost me very little.
Even the convenience that a part time farmer has in doing something and not having to arrange for a haulier to be there when he's off work

Charolois 19 · 31-03-2021 08:29AM

I dont think any of us here can put a price on what works for each others individual situation, I have a 5x12 there and find it invaluable, that said if im selling a couple at a go I pay a lad to haul for me, for myself there a lorry sitting around would be a money pit for my farming set up, the next person would look at my trailer as a toy, they have and need the 20ft+ body on a scania, it's horses for courses,

That said the freedom I have with my own trailer is great, been on the small size of farm, if I see one or 2 for sale hook up and off you go, where id just be a pain in the side for the hauler looking for 2 collected 50 mile away, but for me to have a lorry (even having the license already) or a tractor trailer would be a waste of space in the yard and a hole in the account,

All that said I still love to see a nice wagon or tractor trailer on the road and best of luck to who has it and I can day dream

Bass Reeves · 31-03-2021 08:33AM

emaherx wrote: »

You still seem to assume the trailer is just for going to the mart. I have to admit it would be nice to have a single block of land with no need for the constant use of a trailer, I'd probably agree with you then.

Moving 20+ cattle at a time regularly between outfarms with a small trailer is nothing short of a pain in the hole, especially in years like 2018 when we were all struggling for grass. The bigger trailer also reduces safety risks, with less loading/unloading, less getting caught out by poor light if cattle need to be moved of an Autumn evening and less fatigue. It's also easier to recruit some volunteers to load a trailer twice compared to 10+ times.

I work off farm for my main income, the farm is profitable but just not large enough for a full time income, I've spent the last few years investing in things to make life easier, so economically I could possibly of spent the money better elsewhere, but spending money to reduce labour is also money well spent in my opinion.

Read my post I dealth with it. Just like you get lads to carry cattle to the mart and factory you will get them to take them to the mart. I know two lads with tractor and boxes, a half dozen with jeeps and big boxes and I have never been stuck for a lad with a truck.The lad with a truck will always load them with you
It lads come on to this forum and complain that they cannot make money from farming and about having no time....and then talk about spending thousands in machinery that may or may not be labour saving.

It's also immaterial if lads doing it are at nothing as lads say. I tend to disagree. Ya the lad the that drew Gruellar's was bordering on that. Again it depends on how far out of his way he was going. If it was 5-8 mile's and he was loading them on with cattle he had for himself it a handy touch. The reality is beef farming will not stand costs. We cannot invoice Larry for extra costs.

My point is and I be quite clear there is other options but you need to be organized. If your transportation bill is 1500/ year buying a trailer dose not mean that 1500 in costs disappears totally.

cattle trailer

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