Farmer writes: the economics of make or buy

Trying to keep costs down means it’s natural to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Nowhere is this more true than around the farmyard. There’s always something an old piece of a gate can be used for, or a baler twine, or a fertiliser pallet, or any one of a number of other bits and pieces.

With this in mind, we decided to make our own side creels to use on a car trailer for transporting sheep. When it’s finished, we’ll be able to fit six sheep in the trailer, giving us part-timers a very useful transport option.

The key phrase in the last paragraph is, “when it’s finished”. The design for the side creels has been amended several times at this stage. Having to make various on-the-fly decisions regarding construction means we are now resigned to a learn-by-doing policy. This approach means work is progressing much slower than planned - to put it mildly.

In terms of cost, we will end up saving about €200 by making the side creels ourselves, compared with what a local handyman said he would charge for the job. As is the fashion at the moment, when working out costs, this figure does not include our own labour time.

This is a nice saving because we are not were waiting on the trailer. If we were, then the cost of not having it would have to be factored in as well as our time on the job. That being the case, then you would have to analyse more closely the cost-benefit of make-it-yourself v buy-it-in.

Sheep update

Back on the sheep front, we dosed the ewe lambs for fluke last week. This was prompted by a reminder in Darren Carty’s sheep management notes to use a drench that covers both mature and immature fluke.

The result is that the ewes seem to have an improved appetite for the 18% concentrate ration we have introduced. They are getting 0.2kg each per day at the moment, which is probably enough seeing as they are being out-wintered and still have a nice pick of grass to nibble on.

These ewe lambs are approaching mid-pregnancy now, and are due to lamb around the first or second week of April. We will scan them next week and draw up a proper nutrition plan then for the rest of their time. Any empties will get a date with the butcher, especially as prices are good at the moment.

Easter is early this year, so there is pressure to get sufficient numbers of lambs finished in time, meaning prices are expected to remain strong until after Easter Sunday.

We might even have the side creels for the trailer ready by then!

Kieran Sullivan and his brother farm part-time in Co Waterford. You can follow him on Twitter: @kieran_sullivan

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