# Livestock sitting. HELP!



## TxCloverAngel (Jun 20, 2005)

Clover's Critter Care will be opening soon.

We will provide care for livestock while your out of town.
feeding, watering, stall cleaning etc.... everything that will need done while your gone.

My question....
How in the heck do I figure out a price structure?
There is no competition for me to do a price check.
I have a huge untapped market here.

All of the feed stores want to advertise for me.
We are bonded and insured.

But I dont have a clue what to charge.

horses, cows, dogs, all animals.
I cant charge the same for everyone.
it should depend on the animals and number of animals.

what would you charge?
or where should I start?


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Maybe charge an hourly wage and then adjust up or down based on how physical the job is?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Yes, hourly wage would be the way to go. Include your travel time. Maybe even state upfront that heavy labor is subject to an extra charge.


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## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I would say something like $50/day and then add onto that if the # of animals goes up, or if you have to travel a long distance


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## MorrisonCorner (Jul 27, 2004)

I would say it depends on whether you're expected to live on premises, or are simply stopping in to check on things. For example:

We have sheep, chickens, 4 dogs, 3 cats, and soon... rabbits. If the weather is hot buckets and water bottles must be checked at least three times a day (morning, noon, night). And in all weather the dogs have to be let out every 6 hours. A house-sitter could do something else (go walk someone else's dogs) but basically you're staying here unless you live very close by.

If you stay here the fridge is stocked with nice steaks, usually shrimp, and some sort of fish (salmon) and chicken. Ice cream, vegetables in the garden, usually some berry is ripening if we're going out of town... and the last few times we've had someone sit the place they were thrilled to come do it because it saved them the cost of a B&B for playing farm for a weekend. They thought this was very cool. If I'd had to shell actual cash out for this? Given how I stock the fridge... I'd probably go $75 or so a day. Maybe 100, but that's pushing it, and makes for a very expensive getaway for us.


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## TxCloverAngel (Jun 20, 2005)

Thanks for all the feedback! keep it coming!

I got our front page ready.. I think...
any thoughts?
www.CloversCritterCare.com

I'll also have a button for services offered and rates/contact... they should be up in a few hours.


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## mem (Oct 28, 2005)

A couple years ago, we paid someone $25 a trip ($50 a day) for 5 pigs, 15 chickens, 10 goats, 8 cats, 6 dogs, and watering the garden. I thought it was a little high, but she did a good job.


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## EarthSheltered (May 9, 2008)

Website looks great by the way. I'm in PA, and I pay $25 a visit for a friend to feed and turn out 15 horses, check on 6 beef cows who are pretty self-sufficient, and feed and walk two dogs. 

I don't pay a trip fee because she lives less than a mile away. I do make sure everything is as easy as possible for her, have the hay stacked in a convenient place, buckets and feed clearly labeled, stalls labeled, horses collars labeled. 

Being a good friend, she also waters my veggie and flower gardens :sing:

Being able to go away without worry: Priceless!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Here's a friend of mine's price list on her website:

http://www.hillcountrypetsitters.com/rates.htm


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Oh this brings back memories. I used to farmsit for all my goat and cattle friends. One of my very favorite things to do.
But now I have too many responsibilities at my own place.
Can't help with what to charge though....Can't remember.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Wow, I really love your web site front page! What service do you use, format, web site builder etc. We really need someone like you and you really need to move to Montana immediately! sis


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## TxCloverAngel (Jun 20, 2005)

sisterpine said:


> Wow, I really love your web site front page! What service do you use, format, web site builder etc. We really need someone like you and you really need to move to Montana immediately! sis


I adore www.Homestead.com for building my sites.... anyone... and I mean ANYONE can build a great page in 30 minutes!


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

One thing I didn't see on your site that would be make or break for me - insured and bonded. I know you mentioned here that you are, but I didn't see it on your website.


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## TxCloverAngel (Jun 20, 2005)

yep., but waiting for the paperwork before I can post it.


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## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

We pay $75 a day when we go out of town. That's three trips total. 1 is for all of the animals, 1 is just for walking the dogs, and the last one is for the dogs and double checking that everyone still has water or food.

We have 2 dogs, 4 indoor cats, 2 large cages of rats, a small flock of ducks, 1 rabbit (at that time, now it is about 6 adults plus litters), and a couple small cages of quail. (We also have turkeys additionally now, and occasionally something in the incubator.)

We are charged an hourly rate. I try to only go away for very brief periods of time and clean cages just before I leave so that the main chores are feeding and watering. Just feeding and watering, and maybe a little bit of attention takes a total of around 3 hours for someone who isn't used to doing it every day. The same routine takes me between 30 and 45 minutes, but it is reflex for me.

We pay $20 an hour. It is more of a pet-sitter than a livestock sitter though. We are just about pushing the limit of what we can afford to spend when we go away and what our pet sitter is comfortable caring for. (I'd rather stay home anyways.)

Kayleigh


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

One of the vetrinary assistants at our vet's will come by and feed & walk your animals. She charges us $10/day to stop in once a day and feed and water our 1 cat and 25 chckens, and it's not out of her way, driving-wise. We think she's under-charging!


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

Nice site! Something like this could work for me, to! Do you mind if I steal ,errr borrow the idea?

Couple of questions, 
What type and amount of bonding and insurance do you have?
Are you doing cash only, or checks also?
Do you have an agreement written up, or is it verbal, or does the client hand write it?

I am looking at doing somethings and this could be a nice fit with what side businesses I have planned.


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## HilltopDaisy (Feb 26, 2003)

Could someone explain a bit about bonding? Thanks.


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

HilltopDaisy said:


> Could someone explain a bit about bonding? Thanks.


I had a cruise agency in FL and I had to have that, a surety bond I believe it was called to open the agency. If you provide some service to a client (like home health care, pet sitting, house cleaning, booking a cruise, etc.), and steal from them, and are convicted of the crime, the bonding company will pay back the client for your theft. Or if you cause some sort of financial loss....maybe like in this case poison a pet or cause them to die (I think, I'm not 100 percent positive on that. But I think it would cover that also.). Then you must pay the bonding company back for the amount of the payment, plus interest. If someone knows a better explanation for hilltopDaisy.....feel free to post it. 

katlupe


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

You will undoubtedly have to go to the client's home to meet them and see their set-up, so give them a quote after seeing what you'll have to deal with, and keep your rates flexible based on the amount of hassle you anticipate.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

sorry double post..


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

I agree with Willow Girl - charge based on what you see and discuss when you get there. I would never hire someone based simply on their rates, I want to interview them regarding my horses and how to properly turn-out, whether they know how to blanket, wrap, etc. Even cleaning stalls is an ART form here, I have one mare that gets hock sores if underbedded so she gets extra bedding. Stalls here are cleaned twice daily, waterers and feed buckets are rinsed daily. Fly spray every two-three days, etc.

I think if you are going to fool with equines of the sort that people will make it worth your while to do, you should not charge a "flat rate" but charge according to what is needed and how long you estimate you can do the job.

Also, can you handle young stock which may or may not want to lead that day if having to be put in or out of the barn? What about stallions? What about broodies and babies?

One way to get that type of experience is to work for a breeding farm or a large training stable and then you can use them as a reference. Otherwise, I hate to say it, but horse folks are darned "funny" about their horses.

BTW - I pay 30.00 a day to feed and turnout but it's my daughter and I trained her - lol...she does two in the barn and one in the paddock - feed, turnout, clean stalls, wash water and feed buckets in barn (have to turn the auto waterer off), replace bedding if needed, and then feed the outside horse/mule, check hooves, spray with flyspray and check outside waterer. Give hay to all outside. In summer she has to bring two in the barn in the morning and at night turn out, reverse that in the winter. Oh and most horse folks I know will want you to come over a day or two before hand and go over the entire routine with you, then have you come back that same day (afternoon) and watch you do it. We also call forty gazillion times a day until we know we can trust the person caretaking..lol..hope you have unlimited cell phone minutes. 

She grooms my walker and cleans all hooves once a day.

But if I were paying an outside source, the cost would be more like 30.00 per day per animal. I have paid a hundred a day for 3 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 geese. Dogs are outside dogs, cats are outside cats, geese were rather well behaved and only fed once per day, water filled once per day. Dogs fed twice daily, cats once a day (otherwise they won't hunt). I made up in advance each horse's feed packet with their name on it for morning and evening feed (no one could remember all the stuff that goes into one and who gets what), so all caretaker has to do is find the right packet, dump in bucket and put empty gallon bag into a trash bag for reuse later. 

Just some ideas as every horse person has their own way of doing things, and can get downright fussy if they know Pookie didn't get their hoof supplement or loose minerals or whatever. I checked your website, it's nice, but if you want to do horses of the sort that will pay enough to make it worthwhile, you need to include how many years of experience, whether you have show horse experience, etc. and provide checkable references. I have one horse here that is insured, if you fool with insured stock, it is best to have basic veterinary skills as well and be familiar with colic, choke, cuts/wound care in case one of those spazz cases happen so you know when to call the vet. Include any vet tech experience or groom experience.

And never, ever agree to exercise someone's horse for them - I would just tell them that is not covered by your insurance as one wrong step can result in a suspensory and a suit (very expensive and hard to heal and takes MONTHS and many ultrasounds and stall rest..ask me how I know this!) so I would not agree to do that. Of course if someone knows you can ride, you may be asked - but for the sake of your business, I would just say no and tell them that you only provide feed and grooming services.


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