Rental rates for irrigated pasture

[gopher]

Recently we sold most of our cattle and now we will have extra pasture which a young fellow down the road would like to rent. This pasture consists of approx. 100 acres of irrigated grass - alfalfa mix and approx. 70 acres of native grass. This is good producing land and is easily irrigated using three wheel lines and has all under ground mainline. The irrigation equipment would be provided including a fairly new natural gas pumping unit. This land is located in the Lethbridge area. We want to give this fellow a fair shake but we have no idea what to ask for rent. We would appreciate hearing what rental rates are currently being charged in the Lethbridge, Picture Butte, Nobleford area .

[TOM4CWB]

i notice your add about irrigation pasture in the south
first of all costly to run cattle on soft grass cost of moving pipe three times a day,natural gas very high !
equipment, wear etc !
rates are at45 to 50 cent/lbs gain or
18 to 22$/moth.cattle owner has little to do but checking and supply good ganing cattle me be some salt and mineral.i be careful with alfalfa grasing ! average gain between 1,5 to i.8 pound a day.have cattle on grass every summer all over that is about the going rate ! so the young renter has to own very high costcalves and try to make ends meat and alot of hard work and expense good luck to both of you for 2006

[poorboy]

I rent flood irrigated pasture, and on a long term basis I have to look after the flood irrigating and provide posts and wire as needed for all fence repairs. I am paying $1.05/pair/day. I do not go by a standardized aum, just my cows (14-1500 lbs) size as 1 unit. Without fertilizer the pasture will have trouble performing well long term. It works best if it can be pastured this year and then hayed again for a couple of years to let the alfalfa reestablish well.
Continuous grazing is hard on alfalfa. On the pasture I am on with a mixed alfalfa and brome grass stand I can pasture appoximately .5 cow per acre for 5 months. It is hard to get enough grass to last in late august and september.
Non irrigated pasture in this same area would take 8 acres per cow/calf for the same 4.5 months.
Good pasture is the limiting factor to more cows on farms in southern alberta. It is worth lots because the truck freight is so high to take cows to other areas that receive higher rainfall.