Hiring someone to work cows

[rockroadseminole]

Trying to decide on how to design my corral, and stumbled on something I never considered before. In my area you can hire people to work your cows for you. They bring those portable corrals, set up, work the cows like you want them worked, and charge you around $3 per head. I'm running 70 mama cows. The math makes since to say to heck with a $10K corral. Any advice?

 

[TCRanch]

Personally, I'd say if it's within your budget & you don't currently have any facilities, buy your own portable corral. If you have 70 mama cows & 70 calves (or eventually if you're still calving), odds are there will be a health issue at some point in time - aside from "normal" working the herd - and you're either going to have to doctor them or catch them & take them in. We have a Titan portable corral & it's been a life-saver. Literally. We have working facilities at the barn but we use the corral/chute when we're working cattle & moving it to other pastures really isn't a big deal. Plus, when you hire someone to work your cattle, you take the risk of them not doing it the way you want: do they change needles before every shot? Do they handle the cattle well (preferably without yelling or a hot shot)? You get the gist. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Kingfisher]

You ain't gonna get somebody to set up pens and work 7o momma cows for $210....

 

[js1234]

You ain't gonna get somebody to set up pens and work 7o momma cows for $210....

Not anyone you'd want anyhow.

 

[rockroadseminole]

Yeah, I thought that price seemed mighty low. Big reason I wanted to put it on here. What is a more accurate figure?

 

[AdamsCreek]

Has to be $3 a head plus the price of vaccine and wormer. One trip through the chute costs me $10.44 a head in virashield, 8 way, a new dart,and pour on cydectin.

 

[Bigfoot]

First time I read this, $3 sounded cheap. Plus, if somebody just showed up here, with a portable chute, and a can do attitude, I doubt they could could catch 10% of my cows in it. If they had the equipment, and the skills to pull a job like that off, it would be expensive.

 

[AdamsCreek]

They'd get a few of mine with a feed sack but they'd have a rodeo trying to get the rest out of the green briars.

 

[Kingfisher]

First time I read this, $3 sounded cheap. Plus, if somebody just showed up here, with a portable chute, and a can do attitude, I doubt they could could catch 10% of my cows in it. If they had the equipment, and the skills to pull a job like that off, it would be expensive.

Yea I skipped the minor detail of getting em to go in the catch. Hey you never know they may be pets

 

[Kingfisher]

They'd get a few of mine with a feed sack but they'd have a rodeo trying to get the rest out of the green briars.

Yea we call that the Rio Grande Especial. $3 head the " rodeo" cost extra!

 

[rockroadseminole]

Has to be $3 a head plus the price of vaccine and wormer. One trip through the chute costs me $10.44 a head in virashield, 8 way, a new dart,and pour on cydectin.

That was a labor price only. I'm probably going to move wide of this.

 

[Tim/South]

There is probably a minimum set up fee. It would be hard to get someone to set up and work 10 cows for $30. I could see someone having a good set up and a person hauling to their pen and paying $3 per head to use the squeeze.

I have a really nice set up here at home. My friends are welcome to use my facilities at no charge. I also have a Powder River squeeze with a caddy. My son and I set up and work calves for several locals at no charge. They supply the meds and dewormers and help. We cut, vaccinate, deworm and ear tag.
If I am hauling hay, the friends will show up with a gooseneck and help haul. Sure beats nickel and dimming each other all the time.

 

[jedstivers]

If you have 70 mamas you need to have your own set of nice all weather pens. Cows don't have problems when it's sunny and 75.
You also don't need strangers coming in unless you just need some extra hands but you need to pen them yourself.

 

[Ol' 243]

If you have 70 mamas you need to have your own set of nice all weather pens.

Me thinkum same thing.

 

[M-5]

I Prolly know a couple of them cowboys. Lots of cow sense but pretty aggressive. I personally don't want others handling my cows. If you go that route it will take 6 mths to calm them back down and then they show up and do it again

 

[js1234]

I've never been around a service like that before. The only thing I can compare to is that it's pretty standard on grass deals we send cattle to where care is included, when we want cattle processed on arrival, we are charged a $3/head chute charge over the costs of the meds we supply to cover labor and generate a little income for the rancher. These ranches of course have brick and mortar facilities so there is nothing to setup and the cattle are coming into their ranch.

 

[Bigfoot]

I've never been around a service like that before. The only thing I can compare to is that it's pretty standard on grass deals we send cattle to where care is included, when we want cattle processed on arrival, we are charged a $3/head chute charge over the costs of the meds we supply to cover labor and generate a little income for the rancher. These ranches of course have brick and mortar facilities so there is nothing to setup and the cattle are coming into their ranch.

That's a good deal.

 

[js1234]

Yeah, it's actually $3.50 but agreed, money well spent.