Cattle on slats... Access to field too.

bbam

This is something I've been mulling over after seeing a yard where cattle can exit the back of the slatted unit to dry paddocks..

With little effort I could have our small slatted unit open where the cattle could have free access to a dry(ish) field. Actually the field needs work next year so I'm not too concerned about damage but my stock will be light..

Definitely cattle wintered out seem to thrive better, have fewer problems and progress much better in the next grazing season..

My question is, would feeding them at the slatted barrier while allowing them out to the field be a mid-way ground? does anyone do this sort of thing?

We won't be wintering many and they will be light..

1chippy

i was over with a lad yesterday evening who is putting up a shed for this purpose. He has a gravelled area outside the shed and then access to a field out the back. he said he tried a few on a smaller scale last year and was happy with how it worked.

just do it

I've added an extra door on the side of the shed which when fully open allows all stock out. When half open it acts as a creep gate. I've posted on this before.I'll get a link up to previous post and pics later when on the PC.

blue5000

Ya I did it last winter, fed springing cows/heifers on slats and let them out to a dry, sheltered paddock to calve.

just do it

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79824243

Here you go bbam. I've the track machine in at the moment putting three crossings in over trenches. When that is done the whole block will be broken into paddocks with each one opening onto the road you see in the first pic leading back to the shed. He spent today cleaning up the trenches and tomorrow we'll do the crossings. I'll also find out tomorrow how much gravel I have on the farm. There are 2 pockets of it but I've no clue how good it is or how much is in it. Fingers crossed;)

This side door and paddock system has paid dividends already this summer as they've been in by night for the last 3-4 weeks. Once they got used to it they run straight in. I'm giving the cows 1lb nuts and no silage and the calves pass through a creep gate and are now 2 weeks on weanling crunch.

bbam

just do it wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79824243

Here you go bbam. I've the track machine in at the moment putting three crossings in over trenches. When that is done the whole block will be broken into paddocks with each one opening onto the road you see in the first pic leading back to the shed. He spent today cleaning up the trenches and tomorrow we'll do the crossings. I'll also find out tomorrow how much gravel I have on the farm. There are 2 pockets of it but I've no clue how good it is or how much is in it. Fingers crossed;)

This side door and paddock system has paid dividends already this summer as they've been in by night for the last 3-4 weeks. Once they got used to it they run straight in. I'm giving the cows 1lb nuts and no silage and the calves pass through a creep gate and are now 2 weeks on weanling crunch.

I like that... And its handy for you that it has access to so much ground..
I'll probably try it this year with the main door to the shed and if it works I can add a more suitable door in the future directly to the field..

Hope your stone works out..
We had a machine in and found stone.. Unfortunitely its too hard and so uneconomical to raise.. It took a day with a 20Ton machine & 2Ton rock breaker just to bury my septic tank :eek:

KatyMac

I don't have a slatted shed, but allow my cattle access to a straw bedded shed during the winter. They come in at night for a dry lie and if the weather is really awful they would lie in a chew the cud and then head out for a wander and a pick of whatever grass is about. They also have access to a river which keeps the water bill down!
They are fed inside on silage and meal as well. Have done this for years and apart from the actual entry gate getting cut up a bit the fields don't suffer too much.