Saving straw by using slats

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

I have a neighbour who is considering adding a slatted tank onto the side of a straw bedded shed for his 35 suckler cows.

He uses a fair chunk of straw for the winter and he reckons locking the cows onto the slat with rubber mats during daylight hours while eating at the barrier and then moving them back onto the straw bedding during the night will save a lot of straw.

The calves will still have 24hr access to cows by a creep gate.

By using this method would he save a significant amount of straw?

My own view is he would save but how much I don't know as I don't have a slatted house for cows.

Any advice/experience appreciated.

Zr105

Pretty much that set up here, but they aren't locked onto slats, just let roam in and out to barrier. Id say his biggest saving will be that he wont be making a muck of the bedding around a feeder or at the current front of shed if he's using barriers.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Zr105 wrote: »

Pretty much that set up here, but they aren't locked onto slats, just let roam in and out to barrier. Id say his biggest saving will be that he wont be making a muck of the bedding around a feeder or at the current front of shed if he's using barriers.

Yeah I agree where they are currently standing to eat is on top of straw bedding so that area is pure mud after a few hours of eating.
The straw immediately behind the animals standing area is trampled and as you further go back you get a cleaner less roughed up area

If there is a significant saving of straw it maybe a justifiable investment.

Blue Holland

I have that set up for weanlings, not locked off straw, I'd reckon could use as little as half the straw, as Zr105 said it's the mucking up around feeding area. I had to put fattening cull cows on straw bed only this year and shocked at what bedding there taking and there on plenty of maize keeping them tight, were always either in cubicles or eating off slats with straw lie back.

Midlandsman80

No slats here so cant do the same, but would this work...4 Bays each side, all with feed barriers too center passage,ours get ad lib silage,would just feeding in two Bays at the end and bedding two in middle work?end bay is open so would put another feed barrier there if room needed,would be bit of messing with dividing gates to get access but not much, for meal feeding can just feef all in front?

massey265

I myself was thinkin off how I could house weanlings and bullocks as they have some mess made off the winterage.How would a open fronted two bay shed say 20 foot deep with straw in the back half and feed them in yard in front in round feeders that could be scraped clean..would it work or are there better suggestions.

Miname

massey265 wrote: »

I myself was thinkin off how I could house weanlings and bullocks as they have some mess made off the winterage.How would a open fronted two bay shed say 20 foot deep with straw in the back half and feed them in yard in front in round feeders that could be scraped clean..would it work or are there better suggestions.

A slatted tank with pens and a feed barrier. its simple and just cant be beat. Open yards and straw bedding is just too much hassle for weanlings and bullocks.

massey265

Miname wrote: »

A slatted tank with pens and a feed barrier. its simple and just cant be beat. Open yards and straw bedding is just too much hassle for weanlings and bullocks.

Yeah tank would be ideal but just don't have the land for slurry unfortunely...so am just thinkin off a cheap ulternitive.

just do it

House on slats with rubber mats and forget the straw bed altogether. That's my set up and cows are very content on rubber mats. Hard enough too make a profit without unnecessary expense on straw.