Specimen Agreement

Contract Calf and Weanling Rearing Agreement
(Minimum>10 days of age to agreed end date)

(This agreement covers two different rearing periods: 
1. Calf arrival (greater than 10 days) to weaning; 
2. Weaning to an agreed end date.)

Contract Calf and Weanling Rearing Agreement (PDF)
(Final Version 12.03.2021)

Guide to this Specimen Agreement

This specimen document provides that a Contract Rearer agrees with the Animal Owner to rear the Calves on lands and facilities available to the Contract Rearer. It has four main sections as follows:

1. In the first section, pages 3-4, the parties, the Owner and the Contract Rearer, set out their names, addresses and PPS Numbers. When an agreement is reached, parties sign in this section.
2. The First Schedule, pages 5-7, contains sections to be completed by the Owner and Contract Rearer in which they fill in matters agreed between them such as commencement and duration of the Agreement, fee agreed to be paid per Animal per day, and location of land and facilities where the Animals will be kept by the Contract Rearer.
3. The Second Schedule, pages 8-10, contains tables to be completed by the Owner and Contract Rearer. The tables are used to list and identify the Animals involved in the contract.
4. The Third Schedule, page 11, is for dates and details of vaccination programme agreed. (This specimen document provides that the owner will pay for all veterinary treatments including call-outs as well as the cost of vaccines and worm dosing medications unless otherwise agreed).
5. The Fourth Schedule, which is optional, pages 12-13, contains material that could be employed if the parties agree to a bonus or penalty calculated on the basis of animal performance based on weight. If this is to apply, it is essential that it be agreed from the start.
6. The General Terms and Conditions, pages 14-23, set out detailed legal terms of the Agreement. This part of the document contains legal detail. Although sometimes seen by practitioners as legal jargon, the purpose of this section, however, is to provide clarity, in writing, about the rights and obligations of each party to a contract. This part of an agreement is very likely to be scrutinised in detail in the event of a difference of opinion or disagreement arising between the parties. The Owner and the Contract Rearer are advised to carefully read, understand and amend this section as necessary for their purposes with the assistance of their professional advisors before finalising and signing any agreement.

Note - Headings are inserted in this specimen document for assistance only and, if adopted, should not form part of a legal agreement.

Acknowledgements

The publication was drafted by

• Ben Roche Collaborative Farming Consultant;
• Diarmaid Ó Catháin, Solicitor, Cork; and
• Gordon Peppard, Collaborative Farming Specialist, Teagasc