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Ridgway, IL | $/hr or weekly/monthly pay works best here. If they are good enough for you to consider leaving them alone feeding your livestock, then they probably work as hard at keeping them healthy and doing a good job as they know how. % pay unlikely to change what they do, and just more complicated than needs to be.
I have 2 helpers. 1 that will feed, 1 on horseback that rides pens. The pen rider gets paid same if we have a bunch of straight cattle, or if we are starting bawling calves. He is responsible for making sure the vet shack is stocked with what we need. The one that feeds puts in a lot more hours, he will Help haul manure, and run the baler in stalks and straw. We put up 2100 bales this year. I direct deposit my helpers a set amount the 1st and 15th of the month (so they are never chasing me down for a paycheck).
In the off cropping season, my employee feeds most mornings, I feed evenings, we alternate weekends or just work with each other as needed on the schedule. I still go to the feed yard in the am just to check on things but not climbing up and down tractor mixing feed
When we are hauling manure, making bedding, or It is planting or harvest season he transitions to full time +. I double his normal pay till we get out of those busy times
I give them freezer beef, and occasionally they will take a crippled steer or Other livestock project to market, etc for a little extra cash. I pay the pen rider extra for any gooseneck work he does.
I make sure the rations are right in the computer, there’s feed in the commodity bays, and buy and sell the cattle. If they tell me they need something like lumber, rock/lime, Hardware, or a piece of equipment to make their job easier I try and get it to them ASAP, one thing I have found is I try to keep a little nicer equipment around than when I was just feeding myself to reduce their down time etc. also try to work hard on keeping facilities tidy as possible, keeps morale up.
After learning from a previous experience, I started the conversation like “this is about what I can spend on labor, I’m leaving it to you to not get us in a position where you are over worked and under paid”
When I get to feed cattle regularly, is usually the best parts of my year as it usually means some of the seasonal pressures of crop farming are off. I try and pitch in and give my people time off every chance I get. Thankfully, the guys I have now are seasoned, and understand the seasonality of things and I never have to say much other than tell them what my obligations for the week are | |
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Determining a schedule for chores help
