A lamb grazing partnership brings together someone who funds the stock and a farmer who provides the grass and management. With Tayb, we fund the lamb purchase so you don't need to buy the stock. You raise them on your existing farm with sale proceeds split 50/50, calculated under your farm agreement. For farmers in New Zealand and Australia, the starting question is straightforward: could another mob make good use of your grazing without tying up your money in the purchase? The answer depends on your farm, the season and the terms. Here's what to work through before you decide.
Do I need to buy the lambs?
In Tayb's model, you don't purchase or own the additional lambs. The farmer provides grazing and day-to-day management. That distinction matters because you're being paid for the resources and work you contribute, rather than for buying and reselling your own stock.
Each lamb carries an electronic tag so it can be matched to the relevant records. Before delivery, establish who keeps the records, how discrepancies are handled and what information you need. Clear ownership records should sit alongside the practical arrangements for managing the mob.
What does no capital tied up actually mean?
It means you don't fund the lamb purchase. The money you'd otherwise spend on store lambs stays available for your business. That's different from saying the arrangement has no costs or no risk.
Your grass has a value. So do your time, animal health work and any agreed inputs. A share of sale proceeds can also change with the sale outcome. Put the expected payment beside the costs you're responsible for, then look at a less favourable outcome as well. The useful number is what the arrangement leaves your farm after those costs.
Start with the grazing you can reasonably provide
A spare paddock today doesn't automatically mean there's room for another mob through the whole finishing period. Look at how the proposed lambs would fit alongside your own stock and the feed commitments you've already made.
Discuss the likely arrival window, the intended grazing period and what would trigger a change. Tayb's cycles are usually around five to six months, with timing agreed for each farm. Your feed outlook should shape that discussion. If conditions change, everyone should already know who to contact and how decisions about extra feed, movement or an earlier sale will be made.
Understand the 50/50 calculation and costs
A headline percentage doesn't tell you whether a partnership works. You also need to know what the percentage applies to and which costs sit with each party. Tayb uses a 50/50 split. How that split is calculated and which costs apply are set out in your farm agreement, alongside feed, freight, mortality and timing.
Ask when payment is due, how sale information is shared and whether any costs are deducted before the split is calculated. Work through the same example together so there's no difference in understanding. The agreement should record the arrangement you've actually discussed, including how changes are agreed during the cycle.
How's it different from contract grazing?
Both arrangements can involve caring for livestock owned by someone else. The important difference to compare is the payment structure and the responsibilities in the agreement. Some grazing arrangements use a set rate, while Tayb's model uses an agreed share of sale proceeds.
Compare them using the same period, expected workload and costs. Ask what happens if the lambs stay longer or sell earlier than expected. Neither a percentage nor a weekly rate is enough on its own to judge the better fit. Your existing operation and the written terms should drive that decision.
Make animal health and records part of the plan
Agree the animal health responsibilities before stock arrives. That includes who makes routine decisions, who pays the agreed costs and when an issue needs to be reported. Mortality and underperformance should be addressed in the agreement rather than left for a difficult conversation later.
Keep commercial ownership records distinct from the identification and movement requirements that apply locally. New Zealand's NAIT programme covers cattle and deer, so don't describe a sheep ownership register as NAIT registration. In Australia, check the applicable NLIS sheep requirements with the relevant authority. Use current official guidance rather than assumptions carried over from another region.
Work backwards from the sale
Talk about your processor and supply arrangements early. Tayb starts with how you already operate, then agrees the sale and payment process with you. Existing contracts and processor requirements still need to be checked.
Establish who makes the sale decision, who receives the payment and how each party gets its share. Timing matters as much as the destination. If a sale is delayed, the agreement should make the next steps clear. Once the cycle finishes, review the actual costs and outcome together before deciding whether another mob suits the farm.
What would make the arrangement a poor fit?
Be clear about the limits of your operation. If another mob would displace more valuable grazing, stretch your labour or depend on feed you haven't secured, those issues belong in the discussion. Access to purchase capital doesn't remove the need for a workable farm plan.
You should also be comfortable with the reporting and payment arrangements. If a responsibility is vague, ask for it to be explained and recorded. A partnership needs to work for both sides throughout the cycle. Saying no to terms that don't fit is a sensible outcome too.
Bring the right questions to the first conversation
You don't need a polished presentation to speak with Tayb. Start with your location, your likely grazing window and the capacity you'd be comfortable discussing. Add any processor commitments or practical constraints that would affect another mob.
Ask to see the terms and take them to your lawyer or farm advisor. A useful conversation should leave you clearer about the ownership, your responsibilities and the numbers. If the arrangement fits, there's a basis for working together. If it doesn't, you'll have found that out before committing your grass or your time.
PUT THE NUMBERS ON THE TABLE
Could it work for your farm?
See how the partnership works, read common farmer questions or have a conversation with Tayb.
Let's talk about your farm