Beef farmers using slats???

[James]

these are our prefered mats
http://www.comfortslatmat.com/

Agreed
of all the ones we looked at these seemed the most effective and worthwhile. Slightly more expensive than others but you don't loose the gap between slats .

 

[beefandsleep]

at least x2

But you would fit twice as many cattle in the shed would you not? So cost per head roughly similar without the straw and labour costs of a bedded yard?
I have to admit I am very seriously contemplating a slatted shed. The only concern I do have is that farm assurance moves the goalposts again and I will be left with a very expensive white elephant.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

But you would fit twice as many cattle in the shed would you not? So cost per head roughly similar without the straw and labour costs of a bedded yard?
I have to admit I am very seriously contemplating a slatted shed. The only concern I do have is that farm assurance moves the goalposts again and I will be left with a very expensive white elephant.

If you have your own straw why would you be considering a slatted shed?

 

[beefandsleep]

Because I use all my straw in my existing yards. If I want to put up another it means buying it in.

 

[JP1]

@beefandsleep

 

[JP1]

I hadn't seen many slatted houses but I was impressed actually

The slats had firehose type covers

The cattle were wonderfully quiet and laid down readily , keeping remarkably clean (as clean as my cattle on straw)

The rear sliding doors lead to a control alleyway for moving / loading

As in all these things the key is the management and skill of the stock man

 

[beefandsleep]

Thanks for that JP, if those hairy cattle can keep themselves clean on slats I'm sure anything will.
By firehose do you mean it was a similar looking material to lay flat hose?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Found this on google

 

[beefandsleep]

Found this on google

View attachment 470416

Exactly what I have in mind. Nice big airy shed, clean comfy cattle.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Exactly what I have in mind. Nice big airy shed, clean comfy cattle.

It's what I have in mind too but can't see the money in cattle to justify the extra cost of slats...and as you pointed out the shed is only any use for livestock if anything goes breast up

 

[Northeastfarmer]

@beefandsleep this is what I'd like but it looks hellish expensive

 

[Forever Fendt]

It's what I have in mind too but can't see the money in cattle to justify the extra cost of slats...and as you pointed out the shed is only any use for livestock if anything goes breast up

at least you would get a calendar from the concrete company

 

[Northeastfarmer]

at least you would get a calendar from the concrete company

Along with the hefty bill

 

[Bill dog]

We put up a 105x80x8ft deep suspended floor slatted shed up in 07. Replaced an old low level shed that had a chain scraper mucking it out daily into the dung spreader. It has 50 mushroom cubicles on one side with 7 ft over hang over outside feedpassage, and 6 pens on easyfix rubber slat mats with centre feed passage on other side. Generally run 55 cows on cubicles, and up to 120 youngsters on slats. Remember the bill, roughly 100k for tank, and same for kitted out shed! Hoorish expensive but hope it lasts for donkeys years!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

We put up a 105x80x8ft deep suspended floor slatted shed up in 07. Replaced an old low level shed that had a chain scraper mucking it out daily into the dung spreader. It has 50 mushroom cubicles on one side with 7 ft over hang over outside feedpassage, and 6 pens on easyfix rubber slat mats with centre feed passage on other side. Generally run 55 cows on cubicles, and up to 120 youngsters on slats. Remember the bill, roughly 100k for tank, and same for kitted out shed! Hoorish expensive but hope it lasts for donkeys years!

So for a 105x80 shed roughly 200k??

 

[Bill dog]

So for a 105x80 shed roughly 200k??

That was 07 , so doubt it'll be less! But zero bedding, and slurry is used when I want it in the spring.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

That was 07 , so doubt it'll be less! But zero bedding, and slurry is used when I want it in the spring.

I'm not very au fait with slatted sheds so in that pic I've posted above the one with the concrete posts....would you need a tank? Or will that hold enough slurry to do with out a tank?

 

[Half Pipe]

Would it not be cheaper to put cubicles in over slats then? I know you have to scrape out once/twice a day and use a little bit of straw but surely works out a lot cheaper

cubicles don't work as well if the sucklers have calves with them as the calves tend to lie in cubicle the wrong way round and cubicles get into a mess

 

[Bill dog]

I'm not very au fait with slatted sheds so in that pic I've posted above the one with the concrete posts....would you need a tank? Or will that hold enough slurry to do with out a tank?

No need for a further tank if deep enough, and with the floor being suspended it makes mixing slurry in the spring easy.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

No need for a further tank if deep enough, and with the floor being suspended it makes mixing slurry in the spring easy.

Ok thanks, my last shed was a 120 x66 and cost around 50k all in so it would be expensive on suspended slats