Beef farmers using slats???

[emmajayne]

Hi everyone, my name is Emma and I just made this account as I have a new job working on slurry management software. The company I'm working for is looking at slurry management for beef farmers, but I'm from Yorkshire and always thought that beef farmers bedded on straw and slurry was more of a dairy issue.

Then I read on an old post on here that farmers in Ireland tend to use slats, and so wondered if any of you knowledgeable people knew of any other places around the UK where beef farmers who have slats/slurry tanks etc, rather than straw? I'm imagining that it's more likely in hilly areas where straw is expensive, but other than that I don't have a clue! If anyone else does (or if you're a beef farmer who has slatted housing) I'd love to hear about it! I've been tasked with finding farmers the new stuff might be useful for and I'm totally lost! Thank you so much,

 

[Ashtree]

What's slurry management software?

 

[Ballygreenan]

What's slurry management software?

Flexothane??

 

[rc mx110]

Flexothane??

 

[Ashtree]

Flexothane??

 

[Nithsdale]

What's slurry management software?

Stuff for NVZ?

 

[Grimsbyforever]

we're over here in NI, all beef on slats, most people around us all beef on slats. Irish Farmers Journal did a big experiment short while ago examining the differences. Conclusions were that there was no differences in weight, carcass, lameness on straw/slats only difference was cleanliness. We used to be dairy so our sheds are cubicles with slats and that means cows stay pretty clean.

 

[Hilly]

Flexothane??

very good

 

[Nithsdale]

We have a 90 suckler beef herd.

All our young stock are housed on High-Level slats.
We are upland/hill beef and sheep unit. All cows are housed in straw bedded sheds.

3 reasons for that:

1: it's much better for heavy incalf cows
2: you can't really calf on slats
3: to put up a slatted shed these days is almost financially unviable. In fact for us, it is.

We have recently been taken out of an NVZ. We did not/do not produce slurry - something SEPA agreed with. We couldn't use a tanker without including an awful lot of excess water. All our manure is spread with rotaspreaders.

 

[emmajayne]

Yeah, stuff for NVZs, exactly.

If you farm in an NVZ (which is most of England and NI I think, there are less in Scotland and Wales) then you have to give data on slurry/manure to Defra, and the software is supposed to help you do that (although sometimes it's really complicated and just makes it harder, lol).

Thanks guys, for the response! I wonder if there are any areas in England/Wales where people farm beef on slats or if it's more just an Irish thing.

 

[Headless chicken]

Some people around here in west wales have slatted sheds but I haven't seen many. I think @Thick Farmer has a slatted shed.

 

[emmajayne]

Where I'm from it seems to be purely a dairy thing. I think there might be some down in the south west too, but I'm not sure.

 

[emmajayne]

My main point being cows prefer anything to slats as a lying area.
Can your software tell my why?

I don't think it can, unfortunately! It's just about the management of the slurry itself once it runs off
Where are you based, Ashtree? If you're not in a designated NVZ you might not need the software, but I can easily find out for you.
Are slatted sheds common around where you are?

 

[Sweepa]

We have slatted sheds, one side is cattle slats (the slit are thicker) and sheep slats on the other (thinner slit and much lighter slat to lift). Cattle obviously harder to keep clean on the sheep slats as the brush doesnt go through the slit.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Do people get feet trouble keeping cattle on slats?

 

[bobajob]

We have cattle on slats, mostly calves between six months old and 18 months old.
Best way to keep them- only people that dont have slats criticise them.

I have seen cattle kept in a lot worse conditions when people are sparse with bedding them straw.
Our calves keep themselves really clean, no work bedding them straw everyday etc- its literally ten mins with the feeder and they are done for the day. No feet trouble.

Not so good for cows- they are better with a cubicle and slats, and obviously very young calves are better in a bedded shed. And finishing cattle are probably better on straw for the last few months or so.

Slatted sheds quite common around here

 

[Nithsdale]

only people that dont have slats criticise them.

The repair bills we have had with our shed - I really hate them!

But! Iv learned it is the design of the shed is the issue, and not really the slats. Now we are onto modern twin and gang slats instead of the crappy singles cast in the lste 70's I like them more.

 

[bobajob]

Yeah there is slats and there is slats!- some of ours are 40+ years old and are still fine, other shed they have been replaced. Gangs or twins are better. Ours are low level slats- I think they are better than rusting steel in high level slats (I know you have to work with what you have)
Lucky a lot of the slatted sheds about here were built with grants in the late 70s- early 80s- I wouldn't like to start now.
Straw at £90t to bed a court would be a fair cost in this damp weather the now too!

 

[Nithsdale]

Yeah there is slats and there is slats!- some of ours are 40+ years old and are still fine, other shed they have been replaced. Gangs or twins are better. Ours are low level slats- I think they are better than rusting steel in high level slats (I know you have to work with what you have)
Lucky a lot of the slatted sheds about here were built with grants in the late 70s- early 80s- I wouldn't like to start now.
Straw at £90t to bed a court would be a fair cost in this damp weather the now too!

Ours was built in '77.

100' x 30' clear span. The poured concrete feed passage and all the slats are resting on 7 giant H-beams. Slats run length ways, and not from feedbarrier - back wall. Feed passage is 7'8" wide and the feed barriers are welded onto the structural steelwork inside the concrete - these have all rotted and it is a complete pain to repair.

The webbing in the H-beams started to go about 13 years ago, whole shed was propped and new metal welded in. Plus since 2000 we have replaced all the slats. Bloody expensive, but as you say big saving over straw each year.


It would be £120k + to put up our shed today. There were grants recently, but I doubt they'd make it much more affordable.

 

[Tonka]

Beef on slats seen in Derbyshire, yesterday......