Required floor gradient for straw bedded area?

Tyson Lannister

Hi folks,
I'm putting in an area at the back of a slatted shed. This area is intended for calving pens, creep area, rearing bucket fed calves etc. It will be straw bedded, so before I set up the screeds for the concrete id like to know what would be the best slant to put the floor in at? I'd like to keep the straw as dry as possible but don't want to go overboard. I was thinking 5 inches over ten feet. Opinions appreciated before it's set in stone...

_Brian

It's not enough.
If you want the straw to drain then the gradient needs to be sufficient to overcome the way the straw retains the liquid.
To drain I'd have thought 8-10 inches over 10ft.

We have stalls with 2-3 inches over 7ft and they don't drain dry.

Tyson Lannister

_Brian wrote: »

It's not enough.
If you want the straw to drain then the gradient needs to be sufficient to overcome the way the straw retains the liquid.
To drain I'd have thought 8-10 inches over 10ft.

We have stalls with 2-3 inches over 7ft and they don't drain dry.

I put a 3x2 on top of the screed at the higher end of the slope and thought it looked too severe so took it back off.... I was thinking it'd even be harder to clean out with a tractor due to the slant, the poition of the door means you'd have to approach the slope at an angle. I'll increase it if I need it to have a dry pen.......!

_Brian

That's what I think you'd need.
I know ours is similar to what your thinking and while it drains a bit the straw by no means drys out.

If you want straw to drain out well you'd need more than we have. Maybe as you say it would make working the shed harder and that would be a shame too.
Maybe someone else has experience of a gradient that does drain well.

Tyson Lannister

This might be a mad idea but I was thinking about this- it's the water trying to run through the straw that means the gradient has to be so steep. If you bought old slats off done deal, put them straight down on the slanted concrete floor with the slots parallel to the slant, would the water not just drain straight off? Similar to calf slats?
Cleaning out is a prob though...

_Brian

I'd say cleaning would be a bitch !!

Tyson Lannister

_Brian wrote: »

I'd say cleaning would be a bitch !!

Haha recipe for some serious old style hardship alright I'd say

moy83

Would grooves in the concrete help the flow of water I wonder or would the straw block them anyhow ?
I think it was Pakalasa that put up a youtube clip of a Scottish farmer with a very sloped floor that seemed good too if you can find it

moy83

Found it there but cant link . Search Orkney sloped floor and you will find it

_Brian

moy83 wrote: »

Would grooves in the concrete help the flow of water I wonder or would the straw block them anyhow ?
I think it was Pakalasa that put up a youtube clip of a Scottish farmer with a very sloped floor that seemed good too if you can find it

Was that just for an unbedded shed though.
Slope was so severe that the dung got walked to the low side, I thought only some stock got a clean lie and some were dirty.

Tyson Lannister

I think that might be the thread on the 'Orkney floor'. No straw involved there though, if it's the same thread.

moy83

Sorry lads , no straw there alright

Miname

six inches over 10 ft should be enough, with the concrete tramped perpendicular to the back wall or lining up into the sllats so that the water runs in. The major problem with too much of a slope is it can be a disaster if you are calving down in the pens and cows loosing footing.

Tyson Lannister

Lads just wondering are there any more thoughts on this before I pour concrete next week?
The pens won't be sloped directly into the tank, but into a channel about 18 inches wide which will be directed to tank. This channel will be covered with galvanised steel grating capable of taking tractor weight
Any opinions?.

Miname

Tyson Lannister wrote: »

Lads just wondering are there any more thoughts on this before I pour concrete next week?
The pens won't be sloped directly into the tank, but into a channel about 18 inches wide which will be directed to tank. This channel will be covered with galvanised steel grating capable of taking tractor weight
Any opinions?.

Disaster to keep flowing and clean.

Tyson Lannister

Miname wrote: »

Disaster to keep flowing and clean.

Why? I can't slope directly to tank as there's a row of cubicles between.

Miname

ive one with a 9" wide channel at the top and i spend mor time messing trying to get water to flow right the whole time, it can work but theres too much hassle with it. Go with 6" pipes at a minimum if you need to.

Tyson Lannister

Miname wrote: »

ive one with a 9" wide channel at the top and i spend mor time messing trying to get water to flow right the whole time, it can work but theres too much hassle with it. Go with 6" pipes at a minimum if you need to.

Have you a grid over the channel?

blue5000

I reckon the amount of cattle that are going to be using it should be taken into consideration as well as the slope. I reckon you'd need a 1:10 fall. If you want to improve it after you lay it you could put a layer of woodchip under the straw. Your galv grid would want to stop it getting into the tank though:eek:

Poor Uncle Tom

How often will you be clearing out the bedding, or are you allowing it to build up?

Midlandsman80

Your channel size is nearly as important as your slope.... I'd make it as big as possible, whatever the slope id consider only bedding the length of a cow from the wall with a sleeper or something to keep bedding back, it would complicate things but how about a more extreme slope for back half with straw and more gentle for run to channel but with no straw to slow it down.....

sandydan

cows like to lie facing rise when calving,in my case the rise was wrong way in width of 13' so backside of cow was near railing, pen 2 same size but rise at correct side ,(length)with 2 half gate designed as barriers , no problem calving even cranky one lying with ass to gate wont stir when gate opened if jacking required, automatic skulling gate at wall to facilitate sections , never required since.room is requirement for easy calving and ive seen straw bedded sheds of 40x20 with pipes at side to prevent animals putting backsides to awkward places and as escape route for farmer from cross animals
for calf rearing best ive seen is straw on bed of 2" hardcore,with 1" on top about 6" high min for soakage.cleaned out with silage grab ,straw lifts off in layers and stone then cleaned out onto concrete base and washed with slurry tanks of water and rain during year, the hardcore is on concrete base with runoff going into drain outside pen-gates,which hold feeding buckets for baby calves,removed to another pen when stronger. he originally had slats and filled them as pneumonia was scourge