Agistment Sheep Rates: Costs, DSE and Calculator

Sheep agistment in Australia is priced by private deal, and no government body publishes a state price list for private deals. The clearest figures on record are 50 to 60 cents a head a week as the normal rate in western NSW, rising to as much as $1.10 under drought demand (The Land, May 2019). Queensland grazing permits on stock routes cost $2.27 to $4.53 a week for each 5 head of small stock in 2026-27, or about 45 to 91 cents a head.

Those numbers are dated, so use them as a starting point and not as a quote. This guide shows how to turn them into a fair deal for your own mob. It explains per-head and per-DSE pricing, gives a calculator that compares agistment with hand feeding, and lists what to put in the written agreement. It also covers recent tractor sales data for machinery dealers and buyers.

Sheep agistment rates: what the published figures show

The table lists sheep rates with a named source. They come from different years and places, and one is a public land fee and not a private market price.

The private figures come from The Land’s May 2019 report on agistment calls in the west. The Queensland range comes from a Queensland council permit listing for 2026-27, which charges for each 5 head or part of 5. Check with your council before you apply, because these fees are revised. The permit fees are not a benchmark for good private pasture with water and yards, which is a different product from a roadside permit.

Sheep agistment rates in NSW

NSW holds the largest flock, at 25.9 million sheep and lambs in June 2025 including the ACT, according to the ABS livestock release for 2024-25. The dated rates above come from its Western Division. Country inside the state with better pasture, secure water and closer freight is a different deal, so get at least two local quotes.

Sheep agistment rates in Victoria

Victoria had 14.7 million sheep and lambs in June 2025 (ABS). We found no published private rate for the state. For reserves and Crown land under a Victorian agistment permit, the Australian Business Licence and Information Service says the fee is fixed by agreement or by calling tenders. That does not set private prices, so a local agent and recent paddock listings are your best guide to the price.

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Reported private sheep agistment rates, western NSW

A$ per head per week, as reported in May 2019; a dated reference, not a current price

Where the sheep are, and where feed demand sits

Flock size gives a rough idea of where agistment demand may sit, though spare feed matters as well. NSW and Victoria together held about 62% of the 65.8 million sheep and lambs the ABS estimated for June 2025.

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Sheep and lambs by state

Million head at 30 June 2025, ABS experimental estimates; NSW includes the ACT

How sheep agistment is priced

Three pricing methods are worth knowing. Each one shares risk in a different way.

• Flat rate per head per week. Simple to count and invoice. It suits a mob of one class, such as dry ewes or wethers.
• Rate per DSE per week. A dry sheep equivalent (DSE) measures feed demand. It charges more for stock that eat more, so it suits mixed mobs and ewes with lambs.
• Ewe plus lamb margin. A base rate per ewe, with an agreed extra for each lamb. Agree the lamb count date in writing.

The MLA pastoral feedbase guide notes that the NSW department defines 1 DSE as a 50 kg Merino wether, dry ewe or non-pregnant ewe holding its condition. It also warns that ratings differ between models, so pick one and stay with it. Write the model you chose into the agreement.

The class of sheep changes the bill. In the benchmarking ratings published by MLA, a 50 kg Merino dry ewe rates 1.1 DSE and a Merino ewe with a lamb at foot rates 3.1. A flat rate that is fair for dry ewes would therefore undercharge for the same number of lambing ewes by a wide margin.

Work out what your paddock can carry

Before you set a price, check the load on the paddock. South Australia’s Mount Lofty Ranges stocking rate guide works out the stocking rate with a simple sum: total DSEs divided by grazing hectares. Its example is 365.5 DSE on 40 hectares, or about 9 DSE per hectare. Carrying capacity is a separate question that depends on pasture, soil, rainfall and season, and the guide suggests asking a local agronomist or farm management consultant. A landowner can then test income as DSE per hectare times the agreed weekly rate times the number of weeks. The figure is only useful if the pasture can carry that load without damage.

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DSE ratings by class of sheep

Dry sheep equivalents; mature Merino 50 kg, mature prime lamb 55 kg

What moves the price of agistment

We found no published time series of sheep agistment prices, so we cannot state a yearly rise by state. These are the forces both sides negotiate around.

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Sheep and lambs in the four largest flock states

Million head at 30 June each year; NSW includes the ACT

• Season. In the 2019 report, the top rate was close to double the normal one as drought-hit graziers rang for feed.
• Fewer sheep. The ABS estimated 65.8 million sheep and lambs at June 2025, down 8.0% in a year. Fewer sheep can ease competition for paddocks, but this varies by region.
• Rebuilding. MLA reported in September 2026 that rain across much of southern Australia gave producers the confidence to start rebuilding flocks, and that restocker demand was strong. Producers holding ewes for longer may want more feed.
• Sheep values. MLA reported a record Trade Lamb Indicator of 1,244 cents per kg carcase weight in the week ending 12 July 2026. MLA said on 4 September 2026 that indicators had eased from those highs. Higher stock values can make owners more willing to pay to keep sheep alive and in condition.
• What is included. Water, yards, daily checks and supplementary feed all change what a fair rate is.

Agistment or hand feeding: run your own numbers

The real alternative to agistment is often hand feeding at home, or selling. The NSW drought support page is one place to check for current state help for farm businesses. The calculator compares the two main costs per mob. It does not count condition gains, pasture rest at home or the risk of disease, so weigh those up too. For tax or finance decisions, get professional advice.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

What a written agistment agreement should cover

A handshake leaves both sides exposed when feed runs out or a sheep dies. The Western Australian department’s agistment advice says to visit the property first and put the deal in writing. Use this list, and ask a lawyer to review anything large or long.

1. Stock. Number, class and identification of the sheep.
2. Term. Start date, end date and how either side can end the deal early.
3. Price. Rate, DSE model if used, how lambs are counted, when you pay and whether you can renegotiate.
4. Daily care. Who checks stock, and how often.
5. Feed and water. Who supplies extra feed if the paddock runs short, and who pays for it.
6. Health. Who pays for treatment, and which vet to call.
7. Movement. Who meets the livestock movement requirements and updates records.
8. Exit. The biosecurity steps to take when stock return home.

The Vinehealth Australia guidance on sheep agistment adds access to the property for the owner and the type, quantity and quality of feed. That guidance also matters to vineyard owners, since sheep can carry phylloxera risk between vineyards in different management zones.

Biosecurity and paperwork for agisted sheep

Paperwork protects the value of your sheep. Rules differ by state, so check with your state authority before any move. The Integrity Systems bulletin on agistment (September 2023) gives these steps:

• Inspect the property, or send someone you trust such as a stock agent. Ask about contaminated sites and chemical exposure.
• Confirm the property’s PIC is LPA accredited and check any status on the NLIS database.
• Agree who updates the NLIS database, whose National Vendor Declaration is used and who replaces lost tags.
• Provide an Animal Health Declaration and NVD to the landowner, who keeps the NVD for at least three years.
• Keep returning stock apart from your other animals for a period that reflects the risk.

Vinehealth noted in 2021 that a National Sheep Health Declaration was mandatory for all sheep movements in South Australia and for sheep moved into NSW and Tasmania. The Western Australian advice suggests drenching on arrival and again on return home. Follow the product label and your vet’s advice on any treatment. Keep introduced sheep in their own paddock until you know their disease status.

How to find agistment for sheep, step by step

1. Count your feed gap. Estimate how many weeks of feed you lack, and for how many DSE.
2. Ask early. Talk to your stock agent and neighbours, and check paddock listings before the district runs short.
3. Price the whole trip. Add freight both ways, your own travel for checks and any health treatments.
4. Inspect. Check fences, water quality and quantity, yards and loading ramps, and weeds.
5. Check fitness to travel. If you doubt that an animal can cope, get a vet to assess it or leave it behind.
6. Sign, then move. Finish the agreement and movement papers before the truck is booked.

Landowners can use the same list in reverse. Check the sheep, ask for the health declaration, and set a paddock rest date before you agree on a price. Satellite pasture greenness maps can help either side track broad changes in a paddock between visits, using a tool such as the Farmonaut Satellite + AI Farm Monitoring System. They show vegetation change, not the cause, so walk the paddock as well.

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Agricultural machinery dealers in Australia: what sales show

Tractor sales give one view of how dealers are faring. Australian tractor sales reached about 10,000 units in 2025, down 7% on 2024 and the lowest in over a decade, according to Tractor and Machinery Association figures reported in January 2026.

The year was not even across segments. The 40-100hp bracket ended 1.5% up, while 200hp-plus fell 15.6%. By state, Victoria fell 16.1% and NSW 7.8%, while Western Australia rose 1.6%.

The weakness continued. In the June 2026 quarter, sales fell year on year each month. The association expected the full year to land under 9,000 units, the lowest in 15 years, as carsales reported after the June quarter. Dry conditions, fuel and fertiliser pressures and supply disruptions were among the causes named. Balers finished June 21% ahead year to date, so demand has not gone away. It has shifted to specific equipment.

How sheep producers can choose a machinery dealer

• Parts and service. Ask how quickly parts arrive in your district, and who services the machine on site.
• Fit for the job. Ask for a machine sized for your work, with a demonstration if you can get one.
• Finance. Compare the full cost over the term, and get advice from your accountant. Our page on crop loan and insurance tools covers a related topic.
• Data. If you use telematics, ask who owns the data and whether it can be exported. See this overview of fleet management and technologies shaping farming.

Dealer offers change quickly and are often asking prices, so get written quotes dated on the day and compare them like for like.

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FAQ

How much does sheep agistment cost per week?

There is no official price list. The Land reported 50 to 60 cents a head a week as normal in western NSW in May 2019, and up to $1.10 under drought demand. Treat those as dated reference points and get local quotes.

What is a fair agistment rate per DSE?

We found no published rate per DSE for sheep. To convert, divide a per-head rate by the DSE rating of that class. For example, a $1.10 per head rate for a 1.1 DSE dry ewe equals $1.00 per DSE. That sum is an example, not a benchmark.

Is GST charged on agistment?

That depends on the landowner’s registration and how the deal is set up, so ask your accountant and state in the agreement whether the rate includes GST.

Who is responsible for sheep on agistment?

The agreement should name who does the daily care, but it may not settle every duty. Vinehealth notes that a landowner taking in sheep joins the chain of responsibility for animal welfare. The Western Australian department advises setting out who checks stock, who supplies extra feed and who arranges treatment.

Do sheep need paperwork to go on agistment?

Yes. Expect movement documents and NLIS records, and a sheep health declaration where the state requires it. Rules differ, so check with your state authority before moving stock.

Is it cheaper to agist or feed sheep at home?

It depends on the rate, freight, feed price and how long the feed gap lasts. Enter your own numbers in the calculator above to compare the two.

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