Prices

[R_Oldroyd 17]

Hello

 

I'm just trying to work out my new rabbit control prices for the 2007 /2008 season.

 

This is something that is really quite hard to work out.

 

Do you charge buy the head rabbits caught, the number of sets carried out, the number of men on site per day or a week, or a month the list goes on or a one off charge for the season.

 

if you would like to dicuss this then please PM me

 

Regards Roger.

[Kay 3,709]

Hello

 

I'm just trying to work out my new rabbit control prices for the 2007 /2008 season.

 

This is something that is really quite hard to work out.

 

Do you charge buy the head rabbits caught, the number of sets carried out, the number of men on site per day or a week, or a month the list goes on or a one off charge for the season.

 

if you would like to dicuss this then please PM me

 

Regards Roger.

 

What you can get paid to do it

[rosspti 2]

Hi Ferretlove

 

This is a really interesting question. We all know that rabbits are a huge agricultural pest which cost British agriculture millions in eaten/damaged crops, demolished hedgerows, etc. Damage to trees. Holes which cattle and horses can break legs in, and ultimately have to be destroyed. Eating veg and plants in residential gardens. The list goes on...

 

However, I think most ferreters would still think it a privelage to be allowed to go on to land and catch rabbits for landowners. It might seem a strange situation - but from a land manager's point of view you have to consider the many risks in allowing people permission to enter your land. If they get injured, fall over, cut themselves, etc. etc. you could get sued. Leaving gates open, damaging fences, etc. are all risks that the landowner has to consider - especially if he doesn't know the ferretter from Adam (or EVE!!). Another problem with rabbits is that the farmer may only notice the damage at certain times of the year - like when his young corn gets eaten off, or when they damage a hedgerow by starting a new warren, and so that is the time when he wants them killed. During the ferretting season is probably the time of year when farmers notice the damage the least - although they may remember the problems that they have noticed earlier in the year. Most ferretters look at it as their sport - and so would be grateful for any land they could get witout even considering the landowner paying them to do it! There are obviously pest controllers that need to earn a living from rabbit control - but as I am not one, I can't say how they go about getting farmers to pay them when there are countless who would do it for free. I guess they provide a more complete, year round package deal - but if the farmer sees one rabbit then the rabbitter is in trouble!!

 

But, in terms of costs... Defra say that 40 rabbits will eat as much grass in a year as one acre of ground can produce, and likewise when the corn starts to grow - 40 rabbits will eat an acre's worth of young crop. The crop with the lowest value that rabbits can eat is probably grass on a pasture field. A tenant farmer looking at renting a field of lowland grass purely to graze would pay somewhere between £40 and £60 per acre per year depending on the quality of the land and the type on tenancy - therefore 40 rabbits on the acre field would eat £40 - £60 worth of grass each year. So each rabbit would eat £1 - £1.50 of grass each year. You have to look at the overall reduction in rabbits that you have caused over a 12 month period and then work out what proportion of the saving to the farmer you should get. You can't charge him the £1 - £1.50 per rabbit because he would then be no better off than if the rabbits had eat it all. Of course if a single rabbit digs a hole in a paddock holding a racehorse and it falls in and breaks its leg then killing that rabbit beforehand could have saved the owner tens of thousands of pounds, and a lot of heartache!!!

 

I think you would have to look at your contribution to reducing the rabbit population over an entire year. If you could genuinely show that the farm has 200 less rabbits over an entire year then you could argue that you have saved the farmer £200 - £300 in lost grass plus you have helped to prevent future expenses involved in repairing hedgerows, etc. Of course if you kill hundreds of rabbits but more keep coming in from other farms and the overall number does not reduce then that wouldn't benefit the farmer at all would it!

 

At the end of the day, if you enjoy ferreting as a hobby/sport as I do then you would be willing to do it for free. Infact if there was a big enough warren with hundreds of rabbits in it then I would probably pay to ferret it!!! If, as a bonus, the landlowner offers you a reward then !!! If that happened then I'd be asking for some shooting rather then cash. One of the best thing about living in the country and enjoying country sports, etc. is situations like where you do some ferretting for free and then get invited to a rough shoot, etc.

[Kay 3,709]

Well thanks for that

[woodchip 2]

whatever you charged last year add abit

Edited September 22, 2007 by woodchip

[Phil Lloyd 10,736]

Hello

 

I'm just trying to work out my new rabbit control prices for the 2007 /2008 season.

 

This is something that is really quite hard to work out.

 

Do you charge buy the head rabbits caught, the number of sets carried out, the number of men on site per day or a week, or a month the list goes on or a one off charge for the season.

 

if you would like to dicuss this then please PM me

 

Regards Roger.

 

What prices did you charge for the 2006 season ?

Just add enough on this year to match inflation....