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summer pasture rates for bulls?

J

John SD

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Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
1,111
Location
western SD
Someone recently asked me about rates to charge for bulls on pasture by AUM. I told them the bulls just usually go along with the pairs for the duration of the breeding season (60 days max) and then should be taken home.

I had never thought of it before, but is this handled differently in other areas?

"Here" the rate for pairs generallly runs $25-$35/pair/month. Bulls included while they are working and they should be removed when they are done. If they stay I would think the going rate for a pair should be charged.
 
I usually pay my pasture bill at so much per pair per day. During the course of a five-month grazing season (from May 15-October 15), I end up paying for three extra days (May 31, July 31, and August 31), but it seems to avoid confusion in the long run. I pay the same rate per bull per day that I pay per pair, and leave the bulls in for about 70 days. After the calves are weaned, I pay about two-thirds of a pair rate for each day a dry cow grazes the left-over summer pasture. Have done it this way for many years.
 
Thanks for the replies! I guess it all boils down to what both parties in the transaction agree to and are satisfied with. So while I'm at it, I might as well ask do you pay up front for the upcoming month, or when the month is finished? TIA for replies on this one.

I rent pasture myself to a neighbor and get the month's rent prepaid at the beginning of each month while the calves are on the cows. After the calves come off in the fall I stay at the same monthly rate as pairs for winter pasture but I get paid at the end of the month.

Of course in the past dry years the pasture has reached its limitations sooner. Last season, grass was good but weather cut fall and winter grazing quite short. :roll: The cattle went home in early November about 2 weeks after the calves came off when they might otherwise have stayed until late January. It was the right move at the right time. I let the owner decide when it's time to go home based on pasture, weather, and road conditions.
 
John SD said:
Thanks for the replies! I guess it all boils down to what both parties in the transaction agree to and are satisfied with. So while I'm at it, I might as well ask do you pay up front for the upcoming month, or when the month is finished? TIA for replies on this one.

I rent pasture myself to a neighbor and get the month's rent prepaid at the beginning of each month while the calves are on the cows. After the calves come off in the fall I stay at the same monthly rate as pairs for winter pasture but I get paid at the end of the month.

Of course in the past dry years the pasture has reached its limitations sooner. Last season, grass was good but weather cut fall and winter grazing quite short. :roll: The cattle went home in early November about 2 weeks after the calves came off when they might otherwise have stayed until late January. It was the right move at the right time. I let the owner decide when it's time to go home based on pasture, weather, and road conditions.
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On a five month grazing season, I like to pay half up front and the other half at the end of the season.
 
2 of our's we pay 1/2 in the spring the others are all Nov 15th we don't pay for bull's on one pasture but since the man has passed on we stock it at 28 pairs down from the 32 and still pay for 32 so I guess I'm still paying for my bull :wink:. Our DNR lease is Due Jan 1st every year and another piece of hayground is payed befor it's hayed.Funny on the DNR lease I have to pay land taxes on it also. Most all of our pastures are lump sum cash rent pray for rain.
 
Some pastures we pay so much per quarter section, one-time annual payment in the fall. We get to manage the pasture as we see fit, we maintain all fences and facilities, year round. This property belongs to relatives who live out of province now.

Other pasture we rent is by the day. $0.85/day for cows, we maintain fences and all the rest. Payment is due in the fall when the cattle leave.

But it really does come down to whatever 2 parties agree upon. A neighbour to the south of us was charging people $4,000/quarter section the past few years, and the renter finally went broke and sold his cows. They were so damn thin every fall coming off this neighbours rented pasture, it was disgusting. We'd see them up in the hills while we were hunting just north of there, scrounging for anything they could find. So now the landowner has his pasture back to rent to someone else, but it's been chewed down so bad there's nothing out in the open at all. And he thinks he should still get his crazy price for it. Some people.....
 
John SD said:
Thanks for the replies! I guess it all boils down to what both parties in the transaction agree to and are satisfied with. So while I'm at it, I might as well ask do you pay up front for the upcoming month, or when the month is finished? TIA for replies on this one.

I rent pasture myself to a neighbor and get the month's rent prepaid at the beginning of each month while the calves are on the cows. After the calves come off in the fall I stay at the same monthly rate as pairs for winter pasture but I get paid at the end of the month.

Of course in the past dry years the pasture has reached its limitations sooner. Last season, grass was good but weather cut fall and winter grazing quite short. :roll: The cattle went home in early November about 2 weeks after the calves came off when they might otherwise have stayed until late January. It was the right move at the right time. I let the owner decide when it's time to go home based on pasture, weather, and road conditions.
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I hear summer pasture is going to be really cheap in western SD this year. If you have some, you'd better rent it to me quick for about $10/pair/month or you might not be able to fill it! :wink:
 
We charge on the pairs based on a 150 day season. Either count the day they come in or the day they go out as 1 day of grazing but don't count both. If the cattle don't get the full 150 days we give credit, or if they stay longer in November we usually charge by the day, but at a discounted rate as compared to the rate charged for the first 150 days.

We don't charge for the bulls as long as they don't stay longer than 70 days. We do require a vet's certificate that they were trich tested when they were semen checked.

Half of the money is put down when the cattle come in, the balance before they leave the ranch. If a cow dies during the 150 period we only charge for 1/2.

We are getting $190/pair for the season on the cattle we are watching and that is on the cheap side in our area.
 

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