marco
Member
- Location
- tipperary, ireland
How big a slatted shed would you need for 150 suckler cows? Has anyone any experience of building one, and a rough price would be helpfull. questions or comments guys.
How big a slatted shed for 150 suckler cows?
- Thread starter marco
- Start date
- Location
- Orkney Islands
Are you going to run the calves with the cows, you will need a good bit of extra space for them.
We built a slatted shed in 1990 that was 160 feet X2 of slats with 20 feet bedded pen on each end making the building 200 feet .This holds 72 cows per side feeding through locking yolks, after they calf we use the pens each end plus shut off a section of slats for calf creeps reduces the cows to 65 a side. Would strongly advise a 12 feet slat which gives cow and calf a bit more room when sucking especially while very young.
As for cost I have no idea as its that long ago we built ours.
We built a slatted shed in 1990 that was 160 feet X2 of slats with 20 feet bedded pen on each end making the building 200 feet .This holds 72 cows per side feeding through locking yolks, after they calf we use the pens each end plus shut off a section of slats for calf creeps reduces the cows to 65 a side. Would strongly advise a 12 feet slat which gives cow and calf a bit more room when sucking especially while very young.
As for cost I have no idea as its that long ago we built ours.
- Location
- British Isles
Mark if you can stay a way from slurry as its anaerobic unless you put in a bubbler
marco
Member
- Location
- tipperary, ireland
Got a good bit of straw bedding here all ready, using biological treatment in the current slatted shed, I don't see dead worms after spreading like I used to. Cattle are currently in a 1970s cubicle yard setup with self feed. But its a pain moving cattle to get at the pits to feed the others. Thinking of making life easier to get dad some time off. It's the cost and size of shed I'm interested in finding out about.
marco
Member
- Location
- tipperary, ireland
Has anyone else ideas on housing that amount of cattle? Most dairy guys are cubicles, are these cheaper or better in anyway?
Marco . Cubicles don't suit sucklers with calves as you will have injured calves . I do be in a lot of yards and the best I see is slatted tanks as in 25 ft wide slatted area with a lie back.for the calves and rubber on the slats . Leave 3ft of concrete each side of the slats with.no rubber on it this keeps the cows feet right .
dannewhouse
Member
- Location
- huddersfield
eblex / brp do a manual on shed layout/sizeing.
something I think is worth considering when deciding what width to make your shed is the width a cow needs to feed.
table says 500kg 550mm 600kg 600mm 700kg 700mm
I have a shed that's 45ft deep and I think its roughly right but if it was 60ft wide it would hold more cattle than I could feed on just the front.
the slatted floor section looks confusing but as a guide I have a 15ft scrape passage then 30ft of bedding so have 5m2 per cow total, I don't see why this wouldn't be comparable on slats. you could possibly go smaller as mine don't lay in the "scrape passage" but yours could if it was slats instead?
I would reckon a 45ft x 180ft would be about right?
I would recommend you to go 90ft wide x 90ft long and feed on both sides of the shed. (then when you expand just stick another 4 90ft bays on and you've a hell of a shed!)
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/w...-plus-Better-cattle-housing-design-080316.pdf
only ever been involved with 2 old slatted tanks both 45ft wide the 1st had 15ft of slats near the feed barrier and the other 30ft bedding, WHAT A DISASTER!!! slats blocked or busting from mucking out!
second 15ft solid conc near feed barrier 8" lower than the 30ft of slats. never gave any grief but couldn't stir well so had to empty a bit slower ie just do half day then day off.
something I think is worth considering when deciding what width to make your shed is the width a cow needs to feed.
table says 500kg 550mm 600kg 600mm 700kg 700mm
I have a shed that's 45ft deep and I think its roughly right but if it was 60ft wide it would hold more cattle than I could feed on just the front.
the slatted floor section looks confusing but as a guide I have a 15ft scrape passage then 30ft of bedding so have 5m2 per cow total, I don't see why this wouldn't be comparable on slats. you could possibly go smaller as mine don't lay in the "scrape passage" but yours could if it was slats instead?
I would reckon a 45ft x 180ft would be about right?
I would recommend you to go 90ft wide x 90ft long and feed on both sides of the shed. (then when you expand just stick another 4 90ft bays on and you've a hell of a shed!)
http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/w...-plus-Better-cattle-housing-design-080316.pdf
only ever been involved with 2 old slatted tanks both 45ft wide the 1st had 15ft of slats near the feed barrier and the other 30ft bedding, WHAT A DISASTER!!! slats blocked or busting from mucking out!
second 15ft solid conc near feed barrier 8" lower than the 30ft of slats. never gave any grief but couldn't stir well so had to empty a bit slower ie just do half day then day off.
sheepwise
Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
Spot on
Wishful Thinker
Member
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Technically you need 300' feed space. But if you are using diet feeder less will do. Cheapest way would be feed fences on outside. 20' deep pens with a creep area inbetween outside pens. Something like 120x60 I'm sure would do. £1000-£1500/cow wouldn't be far away
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
How long would it take to cover its cost with suckler proffit ?
dannewhouse
Member
- Location
- huddersfield
I have a 120 x 52 and its more or less full with 100 cows in without any calves (mine is divided into 4 pens each 30ft wide) with feeding only on the front.
forever! I think farming is a way of life. I always say if a banker looked at a farmers books they would say you have xxx invested, you only make £! and you work as well!!!
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I wouldnt want to keep 150 cows just to pay the shed off forever, stuff that, 10 years absolute tops or forget it would be my choice.
marco
Member
- Location
- tipperary, ireland
for a guy that was going on about dog and stick farming, that sure is a nice new looking massey you have in the slurry tanker thread. If a farmer could build himself a housing system that would save himself between 1 and 2 hours a day over winter that would be worth a bit of a spend. I don't really know what i intend on doing, it will probably be a case of the hardier cows staying on cubicles(dry) and the thin cows and heifers on slats with matts. I don't a lecture, i'd like ideas though. what way are you set up hilly? genuine question, as you have a good few cattle.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Tractor was a demo, ended up selling one and buying a 15k secondhand fastarc cost to me 3k, 100 cows on cubiclas built in 1990 100 cows on straw home made shed, 100 stores converted straw shed 40 heifers outside in quarrys.
marco
Member
- Location
- tipperary, ireland
Do you finish all your own?
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
No sell them at year old, dont like finishing and cant make it pay here anyway, enables me to have more cows.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Yes sheds much better investment than machines, they aint went up in price like machines over the years much either.
