Beef farmers using slats???

[Half Pipe]

most of our cattle are on slats, some cellars that we drive under with forklift others that are tanker, they compliment one another as the liquid that seeps from cellars goes into the tank, suckler dung needs extra water for slurry.
1 shed is 135'x44.
it has 3 rows of 12' slats, 1row full length is a creep area for suckling calves, with gates that get shut at weaning time. We find this shed the quietest for weaning as cows and calves can see 1another.
the rest of shed has other 2 rows of slats with a feed passage inbetween, its only 90' long, so leaves a 45' long area to give the cows plenty room.
this shed holds 100cows and there calves. Tank is 8' deep and holds 6mths storage easily.
it would take alot of straw to bed cows with the damp weather we get. Our cattle are housed 7-8mths

 

[sheepwise]

I am always sceptical about trials, too many concrete barons around to allow slats to fail on that trial

It's quite easy, give cattle a choice and they will walk straight off slats onto straw to lay down, that's the trial done in my eyes.

I'm not daft enough to say that straw will always pay better, unless of course it's in abundance, but from a cattle well being point of view, a clean bed of straw wins every time, the cattle say so themselves.

It's quite easy, give cattle a choice and they will walk straight off slats onto straw to lay down, that's the trial done in my eyes

Actually from experience @martin gribbon I don't totally agree with this.Our straw bedded courts have a slatted feed stance area and it is not unusual when I go to feed them in the morning to have a couple of beasts quite happily lying on the concrete slats despite there being plenty of room in the straw pen.

 

[M-J-G]

Actually from experience @martin gribbon I don't totally agree with this.Our straw bedded courts have a slatted feed stance area and it is not unusual when I go to feed them in the morning to have a couple of beasts quite happily lying on the concrete slats despite there being plenty of room in the straw pen.

Two out of how many?

 

[sheepwise]

Two out of how many?

Two out of maybe 50 and I always think if I was going for a comfy bed I know I wouldn't choose hard concrete but they always seem quite content.

 

[sheepwise]

In our situation with cattle on slats I can never see how outwintering can be viewed as a labour saving system.I will have between 400 and 500 cattle on slats and with the feed wagon they are normally all fed and checked in under 2 hours. If those cattle were outside I reckon I would be all day carting feed to them, never mind the time taken to treat anything needing attention.

 

[lorries]

Have comfort slat down for 5/6 years on one of two houses and found them a good job for finishing cattle. Cattle are cleaner and more content, actually playing around you in the pens when looking them. They may not have much more daily live weight gain but very few in the sick pen and start to thrive within 24 hours of going into pens, but at £52.00 a square meter its not cheap. But am in process of ordering covering for the second house!!

 

[Greenasgrass]

The cattle stay pretty clean on the comfy slats and certainly prefer them to the bare Conc salt.
At £24 currently for a round bale of straw there's no other way to keep beef cattle in this part of the world!
It's my 1st Year on the comfy slat and to date very happy

 

[Northeastfarmer]

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The cattle stay pretty clean on the comfy slats and certainly prefer them to the bare Conc salt.
At £24 currently for a round bale of straw there's no other way to keep beef cattle in this part of the world!
It's my 1st Year on the comfy slat and to date very happy

How deep is your pit underneath those slats?

 

[Greenasgrass]

How deep is your pit underneath those slats?

9ft - that was the height of the shuttering pan so it was as easy to cast 9' as less. Any less than 8' in this part of the world and there's a good chance you'll be under pressure to get it emptied - at least with 9' I've a bit of breathing space and can wait til the grounds dry before spreading slurry.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

9ft - that was the height of the shuttering pan so it was as easy to cast 9' as less. Any less than 8' in this part of the world and there's a good chance you'll be under pressure to get it emptied - at least with 9' I've a bit of breathing space and can wait til the grounds dry before spreading slurry.

Do you suck the slurry directly out of that pit and what about any solids that build underneath?

 

[Greenasgrass]

I mix it up for 3-4 hrs with the slurry pump / agitator from both ends of the tank until I can see it all moving. Usually add a few tankers of water to help it mix and then just suck it straight out. No problems with solids when well mixed.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I mix it up for 3-4 hrs with the slurry pump / agitator from both ends of the tank until I can see it all moving. Usually add a few tankers of water to help it mix and then just suck it straight out. No problems with solids when well mixed.

Thank you, looks a good system

 

[Greenasgrass]

Thank you, looks a good system

Initially expensive but once built very simple to winter cattle! Needs to be simple for my system as work keeps me away a couple of nights a week and I have to rely on the wife and young lad to keep things going in my absence

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Initially expensive but once built very simple to winter cattle! Needs to be simple for my system as work keeps me away a couple of nights a week and I have to rely on the wife and young lad to keep things going in my absence

I'm interested in putting a shed up with slats for my cows as they're too straw hungry

 

[CharcoalWally]

I'm interested in putting a shed up with slats for my cows as they're too straw hungry

Do it - I'd be surprised if you regret it. Out here on the far West if it wasn't for slatted accommodation there would hardly be any cows kept. The price of straw for those that couldn't out-winter wouldn't justify it.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Do it - I'd be surprised if you regret it. Out here on the far West if it wasn't for slatted accommodation there would hardly be any cows kept. The price of straw for those that couldn't out-winter wouldn't justify it.

I very much doubt I'd regret it, it's just the initial expense, but the cows use twice as much straw as the store and finishing cattle...mainly eating it and shitting all day and I'd like them on slats