Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

making a living out of sheep?

  • 01-07-2014 03:03PM
    #1
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭


    Is it possible to make a living out of sheep if you took away sfp & all other payments would you make a living? What sort of net profit could you make out of a ewe after all costs?


«1

Comments

  • #2
    arctictree
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,536 ✭✭✭arctictree


    farm14 wrote: »
    Is it possible to make a living out of sheep if you took away sfp & all other payments would you make a living? What sort of net profit could you make out of a ewe after all costs?

    Yes, but you need to have:

    1) Enough land to hold about 300 ewes and preferably without a loan

    2) Very good fencing

    3) Good sheds/4x4/trailer etc already paid for


  • #3
    razor8
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,356 ✭✭✭razor8


    arctictree wrote: »
    Yes, but you need to have:

    1) Enough land to hold about 300 ewes and preferably without a loan

    2) Very good fencing

    3) Good sheds/4x4/trailer etc already paid for

    As above reseeding, drainage., a handling unit, loader for tractor would all need to be in place IMO before you see any decent profit


  • #4
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    razor8 wrote: »
    As above reseeding, drainage., a handling unit, loader for tractor would all need to be in place IMO before you see any decent profit

    Okay but what are the profit margins in sheep? What are the best making per ewe?


  • #5
    bonaparte2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 249 ✭✭bonaparte2


    http://www.teagasc.ie/NFS/NFS-Prelininary-Estimates-2013.pdf

    see page 6 for the bad news

    10k a year


  • #6
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    bonaparte2 wrote: »
    http://www.teagasc.ie/NFS/NFS-Prelininary-Estimates-2013.pdf

    see page 6 for the bad news

    10k a year

    Does that include direct payments? What is the average flock size?


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    arctictree wrote: »
    Yes, but you need to have:

    1) Enough land to hold about 300 ewes and preferably without a loan

    2) Very good fencing

    3) Good sheds/4x4/trailer etc already paid for


    would you also need enough silage ground as well as land to rear replacements??


  • #8
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    bonaparte2 wrote: »
    http://www.teagasc.ie/NFS/NFS-Prelininary-Estimates-2013.pdf

    see page 6 for the bad news

    10k a year

    Why does it say their that family farm income was €11,160? I don't get their sums tbh how could an average sheep farmer with 138 ewes have costs of €35,517 :/


  • #9
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,743 ✭✭✭ganmo


    farm14 wrote: »
    Why does it say their that family farm income was €11,160? I don't get their sums tbh how could an average sheep farmer with 138 ewes have costs of €35,517 :/

    page 15


  • #10
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    ganmo wrote: »
    page 15

    Yes I seen I it but can't understand how average sheep farmer with 138 ewes could have costs of €35,000 :/


  • #11
    Conmaicne Mara
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,543 ✭✭✭Conmaicne Mara


    farm14 wrote: »
    Yes I seen I it but can't understand how average sheep farmer with 138 ewes could have costs of €35,000 :/

    Maybe it includes all house hold bills, running cars, etc.


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,743 ✭✭✭ganmo


    farm insurance, farm loan, fert, diesel, buying & making winter feed, doeses vaccines, tags, vet bills...knacker fees
    not massive bills in their own right but they add up. Often after selllin lambs we'd cross the road and spend it in the co-op


  • #13
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    ganmo wrote: »
    farm insurance, farm loan, fert, diesel, buying & making winter feed, doeses vaccines, tags, vet bills...knacker fees
    not massive bills in their own right but they add up. Often after selllin lambs we'd cross the road and spend it in the co-op

    As little as possible to the co-op and you would make money I would think


  • #14
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    ganmo wrote: »
    page 15

    Those results don't make sense, 138 ewes on 54 ha is nearer to .5lu/ha instead of their 1lu/ha, they claim the gross output is around €220/ewe and I wish I had ewes doing that.
    Their costs are near €300/ewe, ours would be 100-120/ewe........does anyone in teagasc ever check these figures....public service again


  • #15
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    Lads those figures just don't make sense to me. Theirs no way 138 ewes could have an annual cost of €35,000. So is their anyone out their who can tell me if their is profit from ewes??


  • #16
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    farm14 wrote: »
    Lads those figures just don't make sense to me. Theirs no way 138 ewes could have an annual cost of €35,000. So is their anyone out their who can tell me if their is profit from ewes??

    I asked this two weeks ago ( profit from sheep ) and lads on here said they would be operating at a loss only for SFP except rangler 1 I think it was who made a profit without SFP could be more just remember him sayin but couldn't find out profit per ewe so if anyone has a ball park figure


  • #17
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    farm14 wrote: »
    Lads those figures just don't make sense to me. Theirs no way 138 ewes could have an annual cost of €35,000. So is their anyone out their who can tell me if their is profit from ewes??

    Gross margin here in 2011 was €100/ewe and in 2012 was €60/ewe on a mainly march april lambing flock and lambs making €90 -€100
    I'm using those two years because 2011 was a good year and 2012 was a bad year....grass didn't grow until may and it started to rain then and never stopped


  • #18
    bonaparte2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 249 ✭✭bonaparte2


    rangler1 wrote: »
    Those results don't make sense, 138 ewes on 54 ha is nearer to .5lu/ha instead of their 1lu/ha, they claim the gross output is around €220/ewe and I wish I had ewes doing that.
    Their costs are near €300/ewe, ours would be 100-120/ewe........does anyone in teagasc ever check these figures....public service again

    This is the National Farm Survey. Its accurate, people on the ground visit selected farms and examine in fine detail all aspects of the farm business .

    Its carried out every year for the last thirty and is seen as the best practice in the EU.

    It does show widespread variation in incomes...


    About 30% of Sheep farms produced a family farm
    income of €5,000 or less in 2013, with a further
    22% earning between €5,000 and €10,000. About
    7% of sheep farms produced a farm income of
    €30,000 or greater.


  • #19
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    bonaparte2 wrote: »
    This is the National Farm Survey. Its accurate, people on the ground visit selected farms and examine in fine detail all aspects of the farm business .

    Its carried out every year for the last thirty and is seen as the best practice in the EU.

    It does show widespread variation in incomes...


    About 30% of Sheep farms produced a family farm
    income of €5,000 or less in 2013, with a further
    22% earning between €5,000 and €10,000. About
    7% of sheep farms produced a farm income of
    €30,000 or greater.

    Stocking rate of 1lu/ is wrong, costs/ewe is unlikely, are these figures even near what's produced by the profit monitors, there shouldn't be a huge difference


  • #20
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    rangler1 wrote: »
    Stocking rate of 1lu/ is wrong, costs/ewe is unlikely, are these figures even near what's produced by the profit monitors, there shouldn't be a huge difference

    Rangler could you tell me what is left in your pocket per ewe befor sub and reps and the rest at the end of the year if you don't want to know bother


  • #21
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    Sorry photo was mistake


  • Advertisement
  • #22
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    Kevin the sheep wrote: »
    Rangler could you tell me what is left in your pocket per ewe befor sub and reps and the rest at the end of the year if you don't want to know bother

    I put up my profit monitors a while back under the rancher name, Its post 3 at this link

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=88876464


  • #23
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    That's not bad profit I was looking at 1.7lu per hectare but taught I would be lookin at €50 per ewe have 120acres to work off so should make a living on average of your figures €80 then the bit of subside on top I know I'm gona take a while to get there but I will . Was goin to go dairying but everyone around me seems to be goin at it and the investment I'd be workin me life to pay that back so no point in workin for bank


  • #24
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    Kevin the sheep wrote: »
    That's not bad profit I was looking at 1.7lu per hectare but taught I would be lookin at €50 per ewe have 120acres to work off so should make a living on average of your figures €80 then the bit of subside on top I know I'm gona take a while to get there but I will . Was goin to go dairying but everyone around me seems to be goin at it and the investment I'd be workin me life to pay that back so no point in workin for bank

    Theres loads of scope there to cut costs and increase output if you have good land and reseeding, 12 ewes/ha should be achieveable


  • #25
    Cattlepen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 787 ✭✭✭Cattlepen


    I agree with all that but then your numbers creep up to a level that you will require extra help. That expense takes the good out of any other savings you make and more with it. To be honest I have used the sheep as a cash flow soloution for the past few years. That is going to stop this year though. Seriously cutting back on inputs and stock. It just isn't adding up


  • #26
    farawaygrass
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,141 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    12 ewes a hectare? seriously? that aprox 5 an acre isnt it?


  • #27
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    Cattlepen wrote: »
    I agree with all that but then your numbers creep up to a level that you will require extra help. That expense takes the good out of any other savings you make and more with it. To be honest I have used the sheep as a cash flow soloution for the past few years. That is going to stop this year though. Seriously cutting back on inputs and stock. It just isn't adding up

    Its hard to manage grass for sheep only at a low stocking rate.
    If I was kevin, I wouldn't dismiss dairying but a few years at sheep might be wise until this dairy bubble settles down.


  • #28
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    rangler1 wrote: »
    Its hard to manage grass for sheep only at a low stocking rate.
    If I was kevin, I wouldn't dismiss dairying but a few years at sheep might be wise until this dairy bubble settles down.

    I think dairying is out because of set up costs why put myself in serious debt when I could work two three days a week on a dairy farm and work the farm at home I'd be reasonably comfortable but I'd be happy at it that's the important part


  • #29
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    Kevin the sheep wrote: »
    I think dairying is out because of set up costs why put myself in serious debt when I could work two three days a week on a dairy farm and work the farm at home I'd be reasonably comfortable but I'd be happy at it that's the important part

    Yes it is a big investment alright. 120 acres could carry 80 cows & rear replacements while also making silage off it. My advice would be to borrow money over as long a period as possible. Worth doing sums on though dairy done well can offer a very good income especially compared to sheep


  • #30
    Kevin the sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭Kevin the sheep


    It would but your tied to farm 7 days a week you have pressure on you because of borrowings meeting repayments and if milk price drops back to 5-6cent profit I would be f____ because I would have.a higher production cost than a fella set up for years s/he would be able to stick a year or two of bad price where I would not. lot to be said for peace of mind goin to bed each night think id live longer


  • Advertisement
  • #31
    farm14
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 164 ✭✭farm14


    Kevin the sheep wrote: »
    It would but your tied to farm 7 days a week you have pressure on you because of borrowings meeting repayments and if milk price drops back to 5-6cent profit I would be f____ because I would have.a higher production cost than a fella set up for years s/he would be able to stick a year or two of bad price where I would not. lot to be said for peace of mind goin to bed each night think id live longer

    Ah well if it' for a easy life you want well then you probably wouldn't but if it were for profit making you would go dairy hands down as it's a big difference compared to sheep financially.


Advertisement
Advertisement