Signs you are dealing with a 'Rooter'

The oul lad died this year at 74, it's gas looking back at the stupid stuff we used argue about.

Literally everything- we'd be arguing over what welding rods he got in the coop! I'm glad I was getting on with him when he passed away - I learnt to grit my teeth n the couple of grandkids helped relations. They don't be around forever, make the most of it I learnt this year.

Ah when the ball started rolling with him taking on the place i was in England at the time and was told thered be a spot for me there when i got back but sure he didnt end up taking over for another three years or so officially and i left home again before that. Luckily enough i havent been plamassed with promises of this that and the other i made it fairly clear when i came back from Australia i wasnt going slobbering and kept the hand in a small bit but had to call quits after a few months as it was getting beyond a joke at that point. Other factors involved as well but id say as soon as i get my trade papers ill be gone. Its a pain in a way as id love to build a little workshop at home but i know for a fact within a week it would be full of old clutter and id be more or less without the use of the shed then and plus if im moving away i dont want to leave a shed behind thats only going to be wrecked. Its the same with doing up a vintage tractor or anything like that i just wouldnt have peace working at it.

It’s a trap a lot fall into. You nearly have to be improving the place every couple of years at least, you don’t feel ten years roll around and it’s a big ask then. Problem is it’s hard find the extra cash at times.

Careful what you wish for.

When the time comes, as it will soon enough, it'll be the same sh1t, different toilet.

Different strokes for different folks.

By maintaining one’s machinery to a good standard can substantially add value too. And it was never more true than over the last 5 years.

Some lads including myself prefer to spend a few Bob improving and keeping things right. I’d get more satisfaction out of that than an extra couple of grand in the bank account.

We used to have 3 tractors and a loader. At one stage one tractor would start the rest of em, money was short back then. We had another tractor on a hill farm where she was left in gear and a hammer on de handbrake to start. Fiats were great to start on a hill with very little speed. Reps made big changes 20yrs ago, all pallets, plastic, old steel and rubbish were removed from every ditch. It made big changes to the countryside.

That man that asked, "will the shed make the cattle fatter", does he have a successor?

There is certainly merit in what he says, e.g don't build in unnecessary expense.

The other side of that is that I have a friend that is 42 and has brothers 40 and 44. Their father has a herd of 140 very good cows, plenty of land, has about 150 acres in tillage too. The cows are all in cubicle houses around a yard like you describe and fed in round feeders for the winter. Cubicle houses and yard scrept with a super dexta back into an open lagoon. Cows then need to be locked into cubicles, and milked one cubicle house at a time, let back over and locked in again before repeating 5 times per milking, through an 8 unit parlour. It is a life of incessant work and slog due to not spending anything for years about the yard.

The father is now 72 with the 3 sons in very good jobs. He wants my friend to come home and take over. He is in an €80k per year role plus perks. He is reluctant to go because he says he needs to spend about €4-500k on a parlour, slurry storage and all cubicles need replacing. He says he would be 10-15 yrs paying it back and at that stage would be late to mid 50s. Constant smaller investment would have solved this problem.

All due respect 893 but you have the man wrong. He was mad to come home 10 years ago but the father would give him no head at all. His career has taken off now and he is reluctant to leave it to basically start over.

By The way have you priced a parlour for 140 cows recently? €100k minimum for the machine, feeders and tank (At the momentthe tank is too small and pumping to an overflow tank before the last milking before collection). Do the building then to put the parlour in. That's €150-200k straight away. He has an open lagoon only for slurry storage. He needs a cubicle house with slurry storage for 140 cows. The steel cubicle and a basic mat is €150 plus VAT. That's €21000 just on those, scrapers €15k minimum. That's €36k on 2 finishing items. As I said earlier, no disrespect, but I am not sure you understand the cost involved in setting up to dairy at that scale hq. This lad gave 20+ hrs a week on top of his 9-5 for 20 years almost but has a great life built up elsewhere.

The brothers won't take it. They couldn't even find the tillage ground, it's 2 miles from the yard and the boys never even picked a stone from it.

I'd say at a minimum 4-5k per cow would have to be spent sounds like a entire greenfield site needed for housing and parlour, with current interest rates he'd be in for well over a million by the time it's paid back....

Where was the money being made going down through the years that noting was spent on yard land purchases I'm guessing

I have no idea of cost. But the farm is currently capable of milking the 140 (with some hardship). Everything doesn’t have to be spent at once so the place is turn key. Not to mention Vat will be claimed back, grants are available and expense can be capitalised against what must be a sizeable tax bill.

It sounds like a 4million quid farm. 150 acres a of tillage and I assume same acres in grass.

Son sounds a little precious but really it’s down to succession planning. He needs to be in financial control of the farm to make the big and small investment decisions.

I am feeling less sorry for him. Big public sector pension. 4 million farm. 3 shops, a load of rental house.

and ye are moaning that the farm needs investment and the father is a rooter. Come on like.