Charge to Feed - One Time

[TKR]

What would you consider fair to pay for a person to feed one time/one evening. Someone who has taken care of them in the past.

It would entail -- feeding 13 horses -- 5 you don't even have to touch, just dump the feed in their run ins and shut one door until done. The rest you just dump feed in their stalls in the barn, open the doors, let them in and then let them out. Feed the barn cat and be sure there is food for the barn dogs. Put turn-outs on 3 while eating. No handling hay or water. Let out a house dog to potty and change one litter box. Probably less than an hour of time. What would be a fair price?
TIA
PennyG

[Cindyg]

Well, just for reference, I pay the neighbor boy $5 a visit to feed one dog, feed one cat, change the litter box, feed one horse, and pick up the mail. He does not have to muck the stall or carry water. The horses are at pasture with an automatic waterer and an automatic grain feeder. And the dog/cat have a doggy door. It's really a quick looksee. He could probably do it in 15 minutes, and he doesn't have drive time.

Nonetheless, I kind of think I'm not paying him enough. Maybe I'll pay him more this year.

[Alagirl]

considering location, and that it might take the fill in a bit longer to do it...

I would think between 10 and 20 bucks would be OK.

[Sansena]

What would you consider fair to pay for a person to feed one time/one evening. Someone who has taken care of them in the past.

It would entail -- feeding 13 horses -- 5 you don't even have to touch, just dump the feed in their run ins and shut one door until done. The rest you just dump feed in their stalls in the barn, open the doors, let them in and then let them out. Feed the barn cat and be sure there is food for the barn dogs. Put turn-outs on 3 while eating. No handling hay or water. Let out a house dog to potty and change one litter box. Probably less than an hour of time. What would be a fair price?
TIA
PennyG

How much do you care 'bout your critters?

You could hire a neighborhood teen to do it probably for $10, but you get what you pay for. For 13 horses, 8 of which you DO have to touch, 3 blanket changes, plus cat/ dog duty too. I think $50 would be fair. Especially if you plan on using this person again.

[TKR]

Thanks folks. I am being charged $100! I thought it was pretty steep, so I just wondered what you thought. I obviously DO care about them and have never hired anyone that wasn't trustworthy and competent.
PennyG

[saultgirl]

$10 is the going rate around here. I boarded at a self-care barn, where everyone took turns feeding, and if you wanted someone to feed for you, $10 was the standard. This was usually 10 horses which ALL needed to be turned in/out, blankets changed, hay and grain, water buckets topped up, and barn swept.

[BuddyRoo]

How long does it take?

If it's an hour or so tops, I'd pay 20 bucks and call it good. Though I will admit, there have been many many times when I've done such things for BOs for free. Here and there as a favor.

100 bucks seems way steep.

[Lucassb]

I think it depends on the circumstances. For instance, if it is a regular barn employee doing a bit of extra duty, a relatively small amount ($10-20) might be reasonable. Ditto for a boarder filling in for an hour or so.

However, on the other end of the spectrum, I would expect to pay a LOT more for someone knowledgeable who has to drive out (particularly if in the middle of the day or some other rather inconvenient time) on a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas ... in which case what you are paying for in addition to the actual labor is the cost of the person giving up their time with family, etc.

[aspenlucas]

Thanks folks. I am being charged $100! I thought it was pretty steep, so I just wondered what you thought. I obviously DO care about them and have never hired anyone that wasn't trustworthy and competent.
PennyG

$100! If you go away for a week, I'll fly down and care for your horses. ;)

[minnie]

WOWSER! $100.00/hr for barnwork. Who'da thunk it!

[vbunny]

10 bucks?! Are you kidding? I'd say $40-$50 if you want someone who knows what they are doing and is going to care if something has gone wrong. The person who does it for $10 or $20 if the same person that isn't going to care if they remember to show up or not.

[Chief2]

I farm sit year round up here. For a one time, one trip fee only I would have charged you $50. The only things I could see causing that to go up are:
*horse or horses are dangerous when being handled or are total jerks on a lead line
*multiple blanketing changes with the fluctuating temperatures, causing someone to unlayer, change layers, or fully re-layer several times each day.

If you are going to keep paying what you are paying, you might as well have them water and hay the horses, too. That's about all they're not doing. JMO

[pines4equines]

I agree with $50 a day or more. When we travel, we have a person come once a day (the morning chores are done by someone else) to muck, feed, change/fill water, feed cats, ducks, bring horses in for the night and it's $50. We only have two horses.

Remember where does this person come from and how far do they have to drive to get to your place. That really is key. I don't like using high schoolers, prefer an adult or professional barn sitter. A kid (unless they're great) can opt out while you're away without you knowing it. A professional will likely show up...you hope...

[JMurray]

My farmsitters get $35 for a 1/2 day which is similar tasks to what the OP describes. $50 for a full day which is both morning and evening

[Dakotawyatt]

If I was driving out to do the work, I would charge $50. Otherwise, it's not even worth my time. What would take YOU an hour might take someone not familiar with your setup/horses a bit longer.

[PalominoMorgan]

I pay my horse sitter 15/visit for two horses. We haul enough hay in to the barn for our absence. The PITA part is hauling water from the basement of the house to the barn. Horses can go out on the paddock attached to the barn if the weather is good. (Just open stall doors and let em out.) At night dump feed, fill water buckets, and let horses come back in. Pick stalls as needed which isn't much if they were out 1/2 of the day. We usually round up though. This is for a 19 year old who was 15 when she started doing our vacation feedings for us.

She also was FANTASTIC when I ended up in the hospital one Saturday night from pregnancy complications. Carrie went over and brought horses in and fed on a half hour notice. We paid her VERY well for that night. (I think we gave her $50. She stripped and rebedded my stalls and really saved my hubby and me a lot of worry.)

$100 seems steep, but that does seem like a fair amount of animals to look after. I would expect to pay at least $50, but wouldn't be shocked to pay $100 for someone who is a professional farm sitter.

[TKR]

Yeah, there is drive time involved, which I certainly do consider. I want to be absolutely fair, but considering that these are horses divided into different paddocks, so one stallion is all alone, dump feed in his run-in. Another stallion and mare, same story. Three gelding, same story, shut one door until done. The larger barn, just dump feed, open doors then come in and get in their stalls, eat and go out without touching them. I'm not sure blanketing will be involved since the temps may not require it. The ones that would be blanketed are elderly and no problem, won't even move while they are eating. One cat, check her bowl, ditto on dogs, food right there. Drive up to the house, let the Yorkie out to pee/poop, dump a litter box into a muck bucket and refill. So, maybe I should negotiate this a bit? It's relatively hands off, no leading at all. They have round bales and I'll top off water before I leave. All are well mannered and gentle. I'll probably have the feed already in their buckets in baggies or in a labeled bucket inside the feed bins. They are in a routine and are very easy to do. I was a bit shocked at the quote, so I just wondered what others thought would be fair.
Thanks!
PennyG

[minnie]

You said they'd taken care of them in the past. What did they charge you then?

[Thomas_1]

Got to say that whoever is feeding 13 horses and turning them out and putting rugs on and bringing them in and then messing about with the cat and driving to see to the dog and all in less than an hour needs to come and work for me.

And I've actually got 2 vacancies just now too :winkgrin:

Are you sure it's only taking that long? Neither did you say how far the person was travelling to do this job in less than an hour - which is relevent if its just such a short time. What's the person's experience? I'm presuming you want them to recognise if your horse is o.k. before they throw food at it and throw its rug on and throw it out? Aren't the feed buckets washed out and collected in? If not aren't they having to be washed before the food is put in?

Anyway I'd say for an experienced responsible person then £7 per hour absolute minimum or in US funny money $14. But in truth I don't believe that doing all that takes less than an hour or that its all that needs to be done either and I'd say that to get someone reliable to see to 13 horses once a week is well worth £25 or $50 minimum.

I can though understand that a quote of $100 sounds reasonable in the circumstances if the person hasn't seen the routine and horses because it does sound like it will take a lot more time, attention and experience than you assert.

[Sansena]

If this person has done it before, and now you're getting charged $100, it's not as straightforward as think it is.

Also, and I know I'm going to be flamed for this but I really don't care, if I'm dealing with a stallion, I charge more. And more still if there's multiples. I need to grow eyes in the back of my head afterall ;)

[mayhew]

I got paid in riding time, the equivalent of about $25 a day for doing morning and evening feeding, morning and evening blanket changes, mucking six stalls, and leading six horses out to turn-out in the morning, and back in again in the evening. Three of these horses were temermental TBs and difficult to lead. I also did any medications/bandaging etc. that would be needed. I thought I was getting a pretty good deal out of it. :yes: So, I would say that $100 is way over the top for an evening's feed.

[snkstacres]

Hmmmmmm I have to pay a minimum of $125.00 each day someone looks after the rescue farm. Thats two feedings, maybe fill water. Hay is out in roundbale feeder. No blanketing if I can help it at all.
It is high for sure but........................I absolutely do expect my horses to be cared for and looked after as though I was here. They bring themselves in but always tease a new person. Like a substitute teacher and kids LOL. I board the dog if someone cant stay at the house.

Its a lot of work and can be even more if a vet needs to come in for any reason but.........$100 for a night is steep. I have 30 horses.

[TKR]

Thanks for the comments. Sansena -- my stallions are 28 and 19 and they have a run-in attached to their paddocks, so all anyone has to do is pour the feed into their bucket from outside, never touch a horse or go inside. They are both very gentle and well mannered also. Yes, I would expect anyone feeding to look them over as they are fed, but this is a very low-key operation and everyone gets along, many are older. There is no leading involved at all. They get in their stalls when you open the the barn up. The feed goes in their buckets before they come in. She has stayed at my place before when I was out of town and I think it was maybe $100/day, which entailed two feedings and care of the housecats and Yorkie. So, I was really stunned when that was the quote. She was basing it on $10/horse with a slight "break" -- but that seemed high considering what it entails. Her drive time would probably total about 20 minutes or so each way depending on whether she came from home or not. Doesn't matter now, I've turned it down. Thanks again. Very eye-opening!
PennyG

[pines4equines]

Actually the answer to the questions is, do you have anyone else who will do it? I have to say when we try to find barn sitters, it is pretty hard to find a good knowledgeable and reliable person. Do you have others you can get a quote from?

[yellow-horse]

my typical petcare for when i go away is, i walk my horses and goats across the road to the neighbors and they go out in one of her fields, i board the house dogs and neighbor comes once a day to check the kennel dogs water, i have 2 50 lb feeders for them, she and i trade pet sitting and we don't pay each other
when i pay a pet sitter, its 30 bucks per visit to feed 3 goats and 3 hores and do kennel dogs water daily, they have autowaters and round bales, stay out 24/7, they have stalls to eat in but if i'm going away, i have the pet sitter just shove the feed pans under the fence and they don't come in, i am mostly paying for somene to check them twice a day

[katie16]

Not knowing your horses or set-up, I would say a minimum of $50. Twelve years ago I did a similar thing for people very close by (drive time less than five minutes) for 2-3 days and got paid $50 day. I would expect to pay more for the same service today. As I would want them to be for my own animals, my skills are/were higher than maybe joe average pet sitter. I have the skills and [proven] judgement on when to call the vet if needed vs. treat a wound myself, for that matter to notice something "not quite right" in the first place, can give shots if need be, accustomed to dealing with stallions and babies, etc. I would not want anyone less qualified taking care of my animals. I would expect to pay well for it.

[RU2U]

I am sooo excited a vet tech is moving in across the street and its always been a dream of hers to have horses....FL here we come!

[Chief2]

TRK, you are awarded one raspberry for withholding information. With all these buried extras, the price just went up. :)

Really. Stallions, cats, dogs, caring for critters in the house and emptying litter box, etc. This is no longer a check and change the blankets job. It's the buried extras that jacked up the price, and if she's done the job before, then there's a reason she raised her rates on you. Try to make a few changes that you can use to negotiate the price down if you like this sitter, but expect to pay somewhere in the area of $75 and up for all of the extras.

[Alagirl]

TRK, you are awarded one raspberry for withholding information. With all these buried extras, the price just went up. :)

Really. Stallions, cats, dogs, caring for critters in the house and emptying litter box, etc. This is no longer a check and change the blankets job. It's the buried extras that jacked up the price, and if she's done the job before, then there's a reason she raised her rates on you. Try to make a few changes that you can use to negotiate the price down if you like this sitter, but expect to pay somewhere in the area of $75 and up for all of the extras.


LOL, OP lives not too far from me, couple of hours, 100$ goes a LONG way here, most people have to work 40 hours in a crummy job to get close to that in a week!

when you hear minimum wage, around here it is about what you get, add a few bucks for gas - which has gone down below the $2 mark btw - for 100$ I am considering getting in my truck to feed her horses! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

[eventchic33]

I would charge and pay $10 a head. That is not so much for the work or time but to ensure the quality of care. What you are asking for is not a lot of "work" but a whole lot of "care" time. Sh*t happens and something could very well go wrong. Horse cut, blanket caught on fence, old guy colic or drop dead. I want some one who will care and look for these things. I wouldn't care if they didn't require being touched, I would be right in there looking them over to make sure there is no cuts, bruises etc....

I honestly think the $100 is fair, besides you are paying for your convenience, so that you get a break, I tend to think that that is worth a lot of money.