Slats or straw or wood chip for lambing???

[Cmoran]

I’m really undecided what to do need more space for lambing would ideally like slats but unsure if it’s viable?? Building a shed with sheep area 58feet by 16feet should I just leave it dry bed or take the plunge?? Friend has shed with 18” of wood chip in it never touched it for last 4 years and still perfectly dry. But it only used for Wintering lambs. Straw is a pain to store and use here.

 

[Andyt880]

If you can afford to go for slats I would say you will never regret it. I have a basic slatted set up for 80-90 ewes in a fairly compact set up and I would need twice as much space if I was bedding them. I house the ewes around Christmas and lamb late March. I would use a fair bit of straw in that time and it’s not cheap here and needs more space for storage too.
I’m on wire mesh slats here but any that need replaced in the future I’ll be buying plastic slats. The wire is grand but you need to keep it clean or it gets messy very quick. The diet and how you feed it is the biggest factor in how clean it will be.

 

[Andyt880]

If only sheep on the farm and you put in a decent sized tank for slats you could also import some slurry during winter if some one near by is tight for storage space, which would then be a valuable asset come summer time and you only have to pay to draw it from your yard and not a few miles away. That would be my plan if I ever get as far as building a tank and putting the slats over it, I could get plenty of pig slurry or cow slurry all winter

 

[Cmoran]

If only sheep on the farm and you put in a decent sized tank for slats you could also import some slurry during winter if some one near by is tight for storage space, which would then be a valuable asset come summer time and you only have to pay to draw it from your yard and not a few miles away. That would be my plan if I ever get as far as building a tank and putting the slats over it, I could get plenty of pig slurry or cow slurry all winter

I’m not short of slurry as it is but was going to make the tank 5/6 feet deep for extra storage. I’m just trying to justify the extra cost involved compared to dry bed. Going to start digging this week whatever I decide.

 

[Bill dog]

My brother put in a sheep slat set up, I’m going to see him later on, I’ll take some photos. It’s actually pig slats, but maybe they all are. 5 foot tank, 2 deeper mixing holes at either end for dropping the slurry pump in .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Price of straw where it is slats cant be a bad investment , a least then you can plan ahead

 

[Andyt880]

Does anyone have a rough idea how much straw it takes to house a ewe for 3 months?

 

[Agrivator]

Does anyone have a rough idea how much straw it takes to house a ewe for 3 months?

One small bale or a tenth of a round bale.

But much more if water troughs leak or rain can blow in.

Slats are expensive, and sheep muck is too dry to treat like cattle slurry. And it's a bugger when you drop your knife and it disappears through the slats.

So:
1. Find out how much slats would cost.
2. Instead, spend the money on building as much roof space as you can
3. Keep the sheep at much reduced stocking rates in the bigger building, and their requirement for straw bedding will be much reduced.

As a general principle, and at least for cattle, if you reduce the stocking density by half, you reduce the requirement for straw bedding by two thirds.

 

[Andyt880]

One small bale or a tenth of a round bale.

But much more if water troughs leak or rain can blow in.

Slats are expensive, and sheep muck is too dry to treat like cattle slurry. And it's a bugger when you drop your knife and it disappears through the slats.

So:
1. Find out how much slats would cost.
2. Instead, spend the money on building as much roof space as you can
3. Keep the sheep at much reduced stocking rates in the bigger building, and their requirement for straw bedding will be much reduced.

As a general principle, and at least for cattle, if you reduce the stocking density by half, you reduce the requirement for straw bedding by two thirds.

1 small bale per month or for 3 months? Doesn’t sound like a lot for 3 months?
You would need to do the sums and see if it’s cheaper to do a tank and a shed or no tank and a shed twice as big

 

[Bill dog]

Mr brother’s set up . 100 ft by 16 . Feed either side. Slats from Finrone Systems in Londonderry ( or Derry).
Metal work all made by local shed builder!

 

[will6910]

One small bale or a tenth of a round bale.

But much more if water troughs leak or rain can blow in.

Slats are expensive, and sheep muck is too dry to treat like cattle slurry. And it's a bugger when you drop your knife and it disappears through the slats.

So:
1. Find out how much slats would cost.
2. Instead, spend the money on building as much roof space as you can
3. Keep the sheep at much reduced stocking rates in the bigger building, and their requirement for straw bedding will be much reduced.

As a general principle, and at least for cattle, if you reduce the stocking density by half, you reduce the requirement for straw bedding by two thirds.

Don’t need a tank as such for slats. Set them up on hardwall drainage pipes and lift out to clean out. Tip muck with FYM. Iv had sheep on slats for 10 years now and Wouod never go back. No tanks just sitting on pipes. With price of straw a few years back at £100 a bale round here it doesn’t take long addijf up to price of wire mesh slats

 

[Andyt880]

Don’t need a tank as such for slats. Set them up on hardwall drainage pipes and lift out to clean out. Tip muck with FYM. Iv had sheep on slats for 10 years now and Wouod never go back. No tanks just sitting on pipes. With price of straw a few years back at £100 a bale round here it doesn’t take long addijf up to price of wire mesh slats

Same idea here as you know @will6910. A lot less work during winter too, not having to bed up pens. And less lameness on the slats too

 

[Andyt880]

Mr brother’s set up . 100 ft by 16 . Feed either side. Slats from Finrone Systems in Londonderry ( or Derry).
Metal work all made by local shed builder!

Handy looking set up

 

[will6910]

Same idea here as you know @will6910. A lot less work during winter too, not having to bed up pens. And less lameness on the slats too

If feet are sound before go on mesh they definitely don’t take foot rot or scald when on them

 

[Cmoran]

So decided to go slatted route with a 6 foot tank 14 feet wide and 62 feet long as that’s the max size I can fit where it’s going how many inlamb lowland ewes will that hold comfortably??

 

[Sheep92]

If your shearing them you'll hold 100 ewes on that comfortably, having enough feed space is the problem

 

[will6910]

As scale I put 24 twin bearing ewes in a pen 16ft by 12ft and eat round 3 sides

 

[Cmoran]

If your shearing them you'll hold 100 ewes on that comfortably, having enough feed space is the problem

That’s great I’ll be happy to hold 70 unshorn ewes in it as we only house as we are lambing according to raddle colour. Already have enough room for 60 comfortably but was jamming ewes in sheds all around the yard so hoping to make life easier!!

 

[Andyt880]

Sounds like a good plan. My pens are 8 x 16 and I put 12 clipped ewes in each one. I can only feed along one 16ft side but when clipped the 12 can just fit along it nicely

 

[Andyt880]