Breeding Costs
We are asked on a regular basis how much will it cost me to own a broodmare and produce a foal to sell each year?
Assuming you do not have your own property, working off the below figures we would suggest to budget on $15,000 to $16,000/year (excluding GST) to keep one mare and $23,000 to $24,000 (excluding GST) to raise the foal from birth until it is sold as a yearling. These are your fixed costs and are based on what the “average Australian farm” is charging at this time (June 2021). The costs do not include the purchase price paid for the mare, the stallion service fee and other extras such as insurance, finance costs, any pre-sale advertising, nomination fees to incentive schemes such as Super VOBIS, QTIS and Westspeed, etc.
There are farms which will have lower charges than what we have quoted below. Alternatively their are farms which will have higher charges.
- Dry/Pregnant Mare Agistment – $30.70/day x 183 days = $5,618
- Foaling Fee – $880
- Vet Contract for Breeding Season – $1,100
- Wet Mare Agistment – $33/day x 182 days = $6,006
- Transport to and from agistment farm for the breeding season – $1,320 ($660 each way)
- Transport for walk outs – $770 (2 x $385 each)
- Farrier – $440
- Vet Other – $770
- Stud Book Fees – $165
- TOTAL = $17,069
- Weaning Fee – $880
- Weanling Agistment – $30.70/day x 150 days = $4,605
- Yearling Agistment – $33/day x 145 days = $4,785
- Sales Preparation – $88/day x 70 days = $6,160
- Farrier (from birth) – $1,100
- Vet (including 2 sets of pre-sale x-rays) – $3,080
- Transport to sale – $660
- Sales Entry Fee – $1,650
- Consigner’s Sales Costs – $2,750
- TOTAL = $25,670
- It may be necessary at times for the farm to isolate the horse in a stable or yard due to an injury or illness and this will usually incur extra cost.
- Veterinary care due to illness or injury. Charges can sometimes be more than $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the severity of the illness/injury, it’s longevity and type of surgery (if any) undertaken.
- If the mare requires more than 2 trips to the breeding shed during the season (sometimes might be 4 or 5 trips) there is an added transport cost.
- Empty mares may be put under lights and rugged pre-season or alternatively an “Equilume Light Mask” may be used to help get them cycling earlier and this incurs an extra charge.
- During the breeding season the mare may require extra treatments not included in the standard Vet Contract.
- Some farms will take 2 sets of x-rays of their young horses.
- We are also assuming the foal has correct limb conformation and doesn’t require any extra farrier trimming or veterinary procedures such as periosteal strips or transphyseal bridging.
- Apart from the consignor’s fixed sales costs (normally pro-rated amongst their vendors), most farms charge their vendors a commission of 2.5%+GST on the selling price.
- Travel expenses to attend sales, stallion parades, inspect your breeding stock – air fares, hotels, hire cars, petrol/diesel, meals, etc.V
- Vet fees – pre-purchase examinations and/or other tests such as blood, scoping, etc.
- Bloodstock Agent or Consultant – employed to assist in the purchase of any breeding stock. This person may work for a flat fee or a % of the purchase price.
- Pedigree Analysis – used to help produce the superior athlete.
We trust the above overview is of assistance.
