Livestock sitting. HELP!

[TxCloverAngel]

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?

[mammabooh]

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

[Danaus29]

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.

[Oakshire_Farm]

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

[MorrisonCorner]

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.

[TxCloverAngel]

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.

[mem]

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.

[EarthSheltered]

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

Being able to go away without worry: Priceless!

[Alice In TX/MO]

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

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

[ozark_jewels]

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.

[sisterpine]

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

[TxCloverAngel]

Originally Posted by sisterpine

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!

[mistletoad]

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.

[TxCloverAngel]

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

[Beaners]

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

[ai731]

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!

[Riverdale]

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.

[HilltopDaisy]

Could someone explain a bit about bonding? Thanks.

[katlupe]

Originally Posted by HilltopDaisy

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

[willow_girl]

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.