Plastic sheep slats?

[yoki]

I've tried mesh and wooden slats and on balance found straw bedding as good as either, but not without it's faults.

Which just leaves plastic.

But unlike the wooden slats which were s/h and cheap, and the mesh which is still used elsewhere, investing in the plastic would need to be more measured and better researched.

I can see in some ways how they could be good (safe to lay on, etc) but have concerns about how clean the sheep would be on them in practice, and the durability of them.

Also wonder if there's any significant difference in the various makes?

Also curious if they're safe enough to put over existing 6ft deep tanks instead of the existing slats.

However, if they're anywhere near as good as advertised I'd probably invest in them rather than extra winter grazing, which is getting increasingly hard to find, and expensive when you do.

Would very much welcome peoples experiences of them as they're still pretty rare so difficult to gauge opinion locally.

Thanks.

 

[Zedlock]

I've tried mesh and wooden slats and on balance found straw bedding as good as either, but not without it's faults.

Which just leaves plastic.

But unlike the wooden slats which were s/h and cheap, and the mesh which is still used elsewhere, investing in the plastic would need to be more measured and better researched.

I can see in some ways how they could be good (safe to lay on, etc) but have concerns about how clean the sheep would be on them in practice, and the durability of them.

Also wonder if there's any significant difference in the various makes?

Also curious if they're safe enough to put over existing 6ft deep tanks instead of the existing slats.

However, if they're anywhere near as good as advertised I'd probably invest in them rather than extra winter grazing, which is getting increasingly hard to find, and expensive when you do.

Would very much welcome peoples experiences of them as they're still pretty rare so difficult to gauge opinion locally.

Thanks.

Hi Yoki, we distribute hanit recycled plastic products, please get in touch if you would like us to quote. I have attached a copy of the full catalogue; square profiles are on pages 34-35. Please note there has been a recent price increase of 11.5%.
The plastic is impervious to water and animal waste and has an expected service life of 50+ years.

 

[Zedlock]

Here's the catalogue. Please add 11.5% to all prices.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

I've tried mesh and wooden slats and on balance found straw bedding as good as either, but not without it's faults.

Which just leaves plastic.

But unlike the wooden slats which were s/h and cheap, and the mesh which is still used elsewhere, investing in the plastic would need to be more measured and better researched.

I can see in some ways how they could be good (safe to lay on, etc) but have concerns about how clean the sheep would be on them in practice, and the durability of them.

Also wonder if there's any significant difference in the various makes?

Also curious if they're safe enough to put over existing 6ft deep tanks instead of the existing slats.

However, if they're anywhere near as good as advertised I'd probably invest in them rather than extra winter grazing, which is getting increasingly hard to find, and expensive when you do.

Would very much welcome peoples experiences of them as they're still pretty rare so difficult to gauge opinion locally.

Thanks.

I'm wanting similar info. Might get more response if in livestock section?

 

[yoki]

I'm wanting similar info. Might get more response if in livestock section?

Aye, I wasn't sure which at the time.

Sure if you start a thread there I'll keep an eye on it, we'll have both options covered.

 

[mezz]

How clean they stay depends what you're feeding. With precision chop, should stay spotless, with hay they need brushing/raking daily to stop them clogging. They clog less easily than expanded metal though. Assuming no feed is dragged in, the slats stay cleaner the higher the stocking density, so important not to have pens too deep, so there is enough feeds space.

The slats are safe over a 6 foot tank. The danger isn't the slat breaking but the runner the slat sits on. The runner is either made of glavanized steel, fibreglass or stainless steel. The risk is the galvanized steel corrodes over time and a section collapses

 

[yoki]

the slats stay cleaner the higher the stocking density,

What are you talking in terms of for average sized sheep?

 

[mezz]

What are you talking in terms of for average sized sheep?

It makes a massive difference whether their shorn or not, also how close to lambing, number of lambs scanned. As a rule of thumb they need to be able to fit into half the area, then they'll all be able to comfortably lie down. So long as there's enough feed space they're very contented - That is the tightest we would have them. The plastic slats work fine at about half that stocking, (slats always dry and clean), some concrete slats we have really need shorn sheep and close to the max to stay clean. Also find the expanded metal works best with shorn sheep as any wool from slip tends to block them. This doesn't happen with plastic slats.

 

[Remington700]

These are the type I bought this year.

MIK Stepper Sheep Slats - O' Donovan Engineering

MIK Stepper Sheep Slats has been specifically designed for sheep and goat flooring applications. The knobbed surface ensures high step safety

www.odonovaneng.ie

I've seen them in a few sheds and they looked fairly clean. I think it's important to give them a sweep with a leaf rake every other day to stop silage or hay clogging them up.

I'm putting them over a 6ft tank and using fiberglass runners. Hoping they have a good lifespan!

 

[yoki]

It makes a massive difference whether their shorn or not, also how close to lambing, number of lambs scanned. As a rule of thumb they need to be able to fit into half the area, then they'll all be able to comfortably lie down. So long as there's enough feed space they're very contented - That is the tightest we would have them. The plastic slats work fine at about half that stocking, (slats always dry and clean), some concrete slats we have really need shorn sheep and close to the max to stay clean. Also find the expanded metal works best with shorn sheep as any wool from slip tends to block them. This doesn't happen with plastic slats.

They'd be on them anything from 2-8wks prior to lambing, right up to lambing, and they wouldn't be shorn. Everything gets brought in at the same time usually, singles, twins and triples.

I was hoping you could give specifics of cubic feet or metres per sheep, or even how many sheep you have in such and such an area?

 

[yoki]

These are the type I bought this year.

MIK Stepper Sheep Slats - O' Donovan Engineering

MIK Stepper Sheep Slats has been specifically designed for sheep and goat flooring applications. The knobbed surface ensures high step safety

www.odonovaneng.ie

I've seen them in a few sheds and they looked fairly clean. I think it's important to give them a sweep with a leaf rake every other day to stop silage or hay clogging them up.

I'm putting them over a 6ft tank and using fiberglass runners. Hoping they have a good lifespan!

Yep, seen them for sale up here too.

Did you choose these for any particular reason or was it because you were able to see them first hand?

 

[Skintagain]

Your farm will miss the straw coming in

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Aye, I wasn't sure which at the time.

Sure if you start a thread there I'll keep an eye on it, we'll have both options covered.

They'd be on them anything from 2-8wks prior to lambing, right up to lambing, and they wouldn't be shorn. Everything gets brought in at the same time usually, singles, twins and triples.

I was hoping you could give specifics of cubic feet or metres per sheep, or even how many sheep you have in such and such an area?

I did a search on sheep slats and there were previous posts so I haven't started another one. The consensus for stocking rate seems to be 1.1 sqm for lowland ewes

 

[Remington700]

Yep, seen them for sale up here too.

Did you choose these for any particular reason or was it because you were able to see them first hand?

Ya, I just chose them as I saw them on a few farms locally that had the same brand and they were happy with them. I know of one farm where the man had long, stemny hay and didn't bother raking the slats . They eventually clogged up and were a mess. They're fairly popular in the west of Ireland due to the high cost and scarcity of straw.

 

[yoki]

Ya, I just chose them as I saw them on a few farms locally that had the same brand and they were happy with them. I know of one farm where the man had long, stemny hay and didn't bother raking the slats . They eventually clogged up and were a mess. They're fairly popular in the west of Ireland due to the high cost and scarcity of straw.

Are you replacing straw or some other slatted system?

 

[Remington700]

Are you replacing straw or some other slatted system?

Putting up a new shed.

We have an older shed that has wooden slats but they're well worn and are now impossible to keep clean or stop ewes and lambs getting stuck and hurting themselves. The timber slats are in place since 1989. The runners are still good mind.

 

[Skintagain]

Putting up a new shed.

We have an older shed that has wooden slats but they're well worn and are now impossible to keep clean or stop ewes and lambs getting stuck and hurting themselves. The timber slats are in place since 1989. The runners are still good mind.

Why not just re slat with wood?

 

[JeremyD]

I have thousands of MIK plastic slats for sale if interested PM me. They were from our pig unit all clean and in good condition some of them were virtually new! Also have galvanised steel support bars if of any interest to anyone.

 

[Remington700]

I'm going to change the use of that shed now, to have it for machinery storage and more lambing pens.

Also the timber we get now isn't a patch on what was put in originally. I thought about putting plastic slats in that shed but then decided against it for a few reasons.

The area underneath the timber slats is only walled on three sides, the effluent was collected in another tank beside the shed but there were a lot of problems with leaks of effluent and ground water seeping into the shed as well and adding to the effluent volume. Plus it used to take a week every other summer to take out the penning and slats and remove and spread the muck.

I work full time off farm as well so it was taking up time better spent on other jobs that need doing at thst time of year. With the new set up I'll have proper grant spec tanks under the plastic slats with agitation points and loads of slurry storage.

 

[Fatlamb]

I have thousands of MIK plastic slats for sale if interested PM me. They were from our pig unit all clean and in good condition some of them were virtually new! Also have galvanised steel support bars if of any interest to anyone.

Any pics of what you’ve got?