Putting a slatted tank in a shed

larrymiller

Well lads.
All straw bedding done here but next year I'm hoping to build on a lane 2 on to an existing cattle shed.
I hope for this to be a slatted house but will have to see what funds will be like next year.
But I would like to get some info on putting in slats into the existing shed.
I've no experience when it comes to building sheds but the sheds here are getting old and it's something that will need investment in the future.

agriman27

It defiantly can be done but it is a lot more tricky, it all depends on the shed really because it can be difficult to dig out the tank in case the existing girders of the shed slipping down, more awkward to shutter the tank as well if access is restricted by the shed. What kinda sheds have you got

Limestone Cowboy

larrymiller wrote: »

Well lads.
All straw bedding done here but next year I'm hoping to build on a lane 2 on to an existing cattle shed.
I hope for this to be a slatted house but will have to see what funds will be like next year.
But I would like to get some info on putting in slats into the existing shed.
I've no experience when it comes to building sheds but the sheds here are getting old and it's something that will need investment in the future.

Patqfarmer on here did it this year I think, might be worth a pm.

larrymiller

agriman27 wrote: »

It defiantly can be done but it is a lot more tricky, it all depends on the shed really because it can be difficult to dig out the tank in case the existing girders of the shed slipping down, more awkward to shutter the tank as well if access is restricted by the shed. What kinda sheds have you got

The shed has the two side walls and one end wall with feed barrier on the other. They built with blocks not concrete if that makes a difference.

sucklerlover

larrymiller wrote: »

Well lads.
All straw bedding done here but next year I'm hoping to build on a lane 2 on to an existing cattle shed.
I hope for this to be a slatted house but will have to see what funds will be like next year.
But I would like to get some info on putting in slats into the existing shed.
I've no experience when it comes to building sheds but the sheds here are getting old and it's something that will need investment in the future.

I did it a few years back cos the straw bedding was all work and cost.
I got a contractor n to do it. Dug it out with an 8 tonne excavator. He dug it about 20 odd inches wider than the width of the slats. He put up single sided shuttering. There was a serious amount of propping.I was talking to the ready mix driver the day he was pouring and he told me he had seen few jobs like it go wrong. He said the shutters lift up easily so it's a job for a pro.put cubicle either side of slats and it's a super job now.

larrymiller

sucklerlover wrote: »

I did it a few years back cos the straw bedding was all work and cost.
I got a contractor n to do it. Dug it out with an 8 tonne excavator. He dug it about 20 odd inches wider than the width of the slats. He put up single sided shuttering. There was a serious amount of propping.I was talking to the ready mix driver the day he was pouring and he told me he had seen few jobs like it go wrong. He said the shutters lift up easily so it's a job for a pro.put cubicle either side of slats and it's a super job now.

How far is the end of the slat from the wall?
Do you mean propping the existing shed not to fall in?

cjpm

Neighbour did it.

DEADLY DANGEROUS.

Dug it out with a 5T digger as shed had low roof.

Tank needed 4 readymix loads. Acro props started to calf when the second load was being vibrated.

2 remaining loads cancelled till the following day. They went in ok as he doubled the number of acros.

Huge chance that the shuttering pans will rise.

larrymiller

cjpm wrote: »

Neighbour did it.

DEADLY DANGEROUS.

Dug it out with a 5T digger as shed had low roof.

Tank needed 4 readymix loads. Acro props started to calf when the second load was being vibrated.

2 remaining loads cancelled till the following day. They went in ok as he doubled the number of acros.

Huge chance that the shuttering pans will rise.

What are acros?
Won't be doing any of this myself.
Will be proper man in from day one

cjpm

Acro props. Used to keep the shuttering pans standing as there in no tie bars through the wall when you only have shutters on the inside of the tank.



Might be hard enough to get a fella to do it as if he was caught by the HSA with employees in an unsupported excavation he could get jail.

larrymiller

cjpm wrote: »

Acro props. Used to keep the shuttering pans standing as there in no tie bars through the wall when you only have shutters on the inside of the tank.



Might be hard enough to get a fella to do it as if he was caught by the HSA with employees in an unsupported excavation he could get jail.

Really? I would of tought that this was a common enough job?

TheSunderz

Would taking down the shed be an option? like down to the girders? Will have to put tanks in sheds here at some stage and considering that as an option to reduce weight on foundations. Enough sheds in the place without building more. OP, you could build a small tank out side and scape into it and pump into lagoon or steel tower? Anyone know how cost effective the tower would be in comparison to slatted tanks?

massey265

A mad idea lads but what if you say instead off scraping the dung out, put in slats over say a two foot tank and having a automatic scrapper underneth to remove dung into a tank/dochil. . .just thinking off ways to have slats without slurry as my ground isn't suitable for tankers and in turn doing away with straw.,

Genghis Cant

It can be done alright, it's a job for someone who knows what they're at.
Is the existing shed a hay shed type, with high roof?
Would it be a runner to stick in a tank outside as funds allow, where you're planning on putting in the lean-to? Stick the lean-to over it as money allows. You could use the existing shed as creep or lie back area.

Bellview

what we did here was put a tank at end of cubicle house & barn. we then put scrapers into cubicle house. works well and gave extra capacity. only downside was ventilation ...but we sorted that after handing a small fortune to the vet

larrymiller

I wouldn't be into anything fancy or pumping slurry.
Existing shed is already a lane 2 off of a hay shed.
Would it be a big deal for a lad to price it ?

sucklerlover

larrymiller wrote: »

How far is the end of the slat from the wall?
Do you mean propping the existing shed not to fall in?

No I mean propping the shutters. The shed was about 22 wide so he left roughly 6 feet either side where cubicle were goin. This held the rails which were tyed back as we'll. the first slat is about 18 inches n from the end wall. As other posters have said be careful as a shed cud collapse or shutters cud burst.

larthehar

I looked at doing it.. too much of a pain in the arse.. and too dangerous.. it was an end span so I took it down myself in a day.. carefully.. so I could but it back up! I dug out the outside pillars, layed them on the concrete floor between next two pillars up and welded in situ.. this allow me to dig out around the pillar without risk of collapse.. I put the bottom edge of the tank right in line with the bottom pillar position... most room for shuttering at the top side.. nice straight edge for putting up the shed after!

adne

What about looking at putting in a precast tank or tanks

PatQfarmer

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Patqfarmer on here did it this year I think, might be worth a pm.

Yep, I did it earlier this year.
Went in 15' under 60x30 wide shed and dug out 26'tank, 12'6" slat, 9'deep(10' dig) back to 30' in, as I wanted to have the feed under cover.
We propped the pillars with welded beams bolted to the ground and dug right to foundations of silage wall on other side with 8ton digger.
My soil is good, solid clay, dry, limestone.
Good man on machine is vital. He was told to stop if at any stage he thought there may be an issue.
Dig went fine, modeled it up and poured no problem.
My sheds are not high (old L2 off silage pit, 1970 style), but we didn't hit the roof:)
Finished job is fab. 30'straw lie-back, 30'with 2 feed barriers at front, don't know myself, coming from straw-only bedding. Really easy feed, stock very happy.

td5man

cjpm wrote: »

Neighbour did it.

DEADLY DANGEROUS.

Dug it out with a 5T digger as shed had low roof.

Tank needed 4 readymix loads. Acro props started to calf when the second load was being vibrated.

2 remaining loads cancelled till the following day. They went in ok as he doubled the number of acros.

Huge chance that the shuttering pans will rise.

You need to fill the shutters evenly about a foot at a time, leave a couple of hours between first load and second.

larrymiller

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Yep, I did it earlier this year.
Went in 15' under 60x30 wide shed and dug out 26'tank, 12'6" slat, 9'deep(10' dig) back to 30' in, as I wanted to have the feed under cover.
We propped the pillars with welded beams bolted to the ground and dug right to foundations of silage wall on other side with 8ton digger.
My soil is good, solid clay, dry, limestone.
Good man on machine is vital. He was told to stop if at any stage he thought there may be an issue.
Dig went fine, modeled it up and poured no problem.
My sheds are not high (old L2 off silage pit, 1970 style), but we didn't hit the roof:)
Finished job is fab. 30'straw lie-back, 30'with 2 feed barriers at front, don't know myself, coming from straw-only bedding. Really easy feed, stock very happy.

Did you do the whole shed or just that span.?

PatQfarmer

larrymiller wrote: »

Did you do the whole shed or just that span.?

Only did 12'6 slat in that 30' wide span. Couldn't afford any more and at 30' wide, shed not big enough to run slats along the length of silage wall and have usable feed passage.
Coming from all straw, I wanted a lie-back. Now that I see them on slats, thinking that lie-back is an unnecessary luxury, but hope that cattle will appreciate it and thrive better:rolleyes:

farmerjj

sucklerlover wrote: »

I did it a few years back cos the straw bedding was all work and cost.
I got a contractor n to do it. Dug it out with an 8 tonne excavator. He dug it about 20 odd inches wider than the width of the slats. He put up single sided shuttering. There was a serious amount of propping.I was talking to the ready mix driver the day he was pouring and he told me he had seen few jobs like it go wrong. He said the shutters lift up easily so it's a job for a pro.put cubicle either side of slats and it's a super job now.

I find slats on the passage of a cubicle shed a bad idea for milking cows in particular,some cows tend to lie on the slats instead of cubicles a slatted tank outside the shed wi scapers would work better for milkers

Sami23

cjpm wrote: »

Neighbour did it.


Huge chance that the shuttering pans will rise.

Why would the shuttering pans rise ?

restive

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Only did 12'6 slat in that 30' wide span. Couldn't afford any more and at 30' wide, shed not big enough to run slats along the length of silage wall and have usable feed passage.
Coming from all straw, I wanted a lie-back. Now that I see them on slats, thinking that lie-back is an unnecessary luxury, but hope that cattle will appreciate it and thrive better:rolleyes:

Do you have rubber mats on the slats? Are they an effective replacement for a lie back.

eric prydz

larrymiller wrote: »

Well lads.
All straw bedding done here but next year I'm hoping to build on a lane 2 on to an existing cattle shed.
I hope for this to be a slatted house but will have to see what funds will be like next year.
But I would like to get some info on putting in slats into the existing shed.
I've no experience when it comes to building sheds but the sheds here are getting old and it's something that will need investment in the future.

You would be as far on putting down a tank outside the shed and letting out the cattle to feed on it,

PatQfarmer

restive wrote: »

Do you have rubber mats on the slats? Are they an effective replacement for a lie back.

No mats, but have seen plenty and when funds are together for next project, will do just slats and mats. Think they will pay for themselves versus straw. Although FYM is mighty on the land.

Greengrass1

PatQfarmer wrote: »

No mats, but have seen plenty and when funds are together for next project, will do just slats and mats. Think they will pay for themselves versus straw. Although FYM is mighty on the land.

Jaysus wait till I tell Joe this

PatQfarmer

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Jaysus wait till I tell Joe this

Lol! He has me wore out, giving out about straw!
And Ronan, telling me I'm running a holiday camp:D

lakill Farm

PatQfarmer wrote: »

No mats, but have seen plenty and when funds are together for next project, will do just slats and mats. Think they will pay for themselves versus straw. Although FYM is mighty on the land.

Would rubber mats at €500 a bay be good value? 3 years down and suckler changed to dairy. the milkers hate the mats and he has 1 bay up.

€1500 would do my shed and have a few spare.

PatQfarmer

lakill Farm wrote: »

Would rubber mats at €500 a bay be good value? 3 years down and suckler changed to dairy. the milkers hate the mats and he has 1 bay up.

€1500 would do my shed and have a few spare.

Think it's about €1K/bay new?
Second hand, want to be less, imo...

lakill Farm

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Think it's about €1K/bay new?
Second hand, want to be less, imo...

ye about 1200 a bay including the vat which is refundable for a 15. 9ft x 12ft slat

my bays are 18.9ft not 15.9ft

PatQfarmer

lakill Farm wrote: »

ye about 1200 a bay including the vat which is refundable for a 15. 9ft x 12ft slat

my bays are 18.9ft not 15.9ft

You would have to be different...!:rolleyes:

lakill Farm

PatQfarmer wrote: »

You would have to be different...!:rolleyes:

shed was up when I bought here at this stage I have most of it redone

I tell you what, an extra 3ft a bay makes a big difference

larrymiller

The shed is 21 ft by 44.
Maybe it would be a better idea to come just outside the shed and put down slats and move the feed barrier out there?
Would the lane 2 have to be the same size or could I add more onto the width)

PatQfarmer

larrymiller wrote: »

The shed is 21 ft by 44.
Maybe it would be a better idea to come just outside the shed and put down slats and move the feed barrier out there?
Would the lane 2 have to be the same size or could I add more onto the width)

If going outside, you can go whatever size tank you like. Make sure and use tractor slats, so you can drive over slats to clean out shed!
That's a much easier set-up, but you need to keep feed fresh in front of them, esp when it's pissing down with rain.

larrymiller

PatQfarmer wrote: »

If going outside, you can go whatever size tank you like. Make sure and use tractor slats, so you can drive over slats to clean out shed!
That's a much easier set-up, but you need to keep feed fresh in front of them, esp when it's pissing down with rain.

Oh I'm used to the feed being outside.
I will wait until the sheds are cleaned out and then get a person out to price things.
Priority is the lane 2 as I'm over crowded in the sheds.
Thanks for the pm! Money well spent

PatQfarmer

larrymiller wrote: »

Oh I'm used to the feed being outside.
I will wait until the sheds are cleaned out and then get a person out to price things.
Priority is the lane 2 as I'm over crowded in the sheds.
Thanks for the pm! Money well spent

No probs, I think so, anyway.
Get talking to lads early in year as they get booked ahead quickly once sheds empty. They may be "keener" if you are talking to them earlier as well and looking at an empty book ahead;)
Best of luck!

lakill Farm

larrymiller wrote: »

The shed is 21 ft by 44.
Maybe it would be a better idea to come just outside the shed and put down slats and move the feed barrier out there?
Would the lane 2 have to be the same size or could I add more onto the width)

I wount like to operate a digger in that size of shed to be honest.

2 options. Take down the shed , dig tank and stick the shed back up are the tank is done

or put in a good size tank on a greenfield site of twice the size and in a year or 2 put a roof on it.

Miname

i just stuck up a four bay with overhang and lye back for 24500. it has an 8 ft overhang. you should have a nice neat 4 bay over tank only, no doors with just the front gates opening u for around 16k if your willing to put in a bit of work yourself and you have the other shed for other things. its often a false economy trying to incorporate tanks into existing sheds.

Farmer Pudsey

larrymiller wrote: »

The shed is 21 ft by 44.
Maybe it would be a better idea to come just outside the shed and put down slats and move the feed barrier out there?
Would the lane 2 have to be the same size or could I add more onto the width)

A lot will depend on your ground. If ground is very solid but no rock you might get a 12' tank into it. It is a summer job and ideally a dry one. If you can as it is a leanto pin back the shed RSJ accross the floor of the shed at the base with 3X2 angle bar. This will steady the outside wall of shed leanto is on. Di from outside in and make a slope so dump trailer can reverse in under shed after digger. No need to go back full 44' as you can slope end into tank.

When you have tank open get a good shuttering lad to case it. He will need loads of acro's. He will fill conc all around bringing walls up togeather. Do not spare the steel make sue he uses U-bars ass opposed to heavy L-bars. Trick with the end is to have a few loads of 1'' down or similar, muck may do and fill end with this as you bring up concrete. Mass conc wall on shed would be better to hold RSJ's.

Everyone is learning about straw finally.

Greengrass1

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

A lot will depend on your ground. If ground is very solid but no rock you might get a 12' tank into it. It is a summer job and ideally a dry one. If you can as it is a leanto pin back the shed RSJ accross the floor of the shed at the base with 3X2 angle bar. This will steady the outside wall of shed leanto is on. Di from outside in and make a slope so dump trailer can reverse in under shed after digger. No need to go back full 44' as you can slope end into tank.

When you have tank open get a good shuttering lad to case it. He will need loads of acro's. He will fill conc all around bringing walls up togeather. Do not spare the steel make sue he uses U-bars ass opposed to heavy L-bars. Trick with the end is to have a few loads of 1'' down or similar, muck may do and fill end with this as you bring up concrete. Mass conc wall on shed would be better to hold RSJ's.

Everyone is learning about straw finally.

Ah Pudsey, straw is great has turned our farm inside out but its time now we moved on. Getting expensive but I haven't had one problem with it our farm needed it.

degetme

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Ah Pudsey, straw is great has turned our farm inside out but its time now we moved on. Getting expensive but I haven't had one problem with it our farm needed it.

Is it in last roatation ye spread all your fym? Ploughs it al in here at reseeding.

Greengrass1

degetme wrote: »

Is it in last roatation ye spread all your fym? Ploughs it al in here at reseeding.

Autumn time and spring. It goes some grass what ever it does. Spread about half in spring as cows graze off paddocks. Cows won't be back for 60 days on it so its broken down a nice bit by then. Spread last bit then after last if silage before ground gets soft

Farmer Pudsey

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Ah Pudsey, straw is great has turned our farm inside out but its time now we moved on. Getting expensive but I haven't had one problem with it our farm needed it.

If you can get straw for less than 10-12/bale every year it is an option. But if you are a distance from main tillage area and straw is minimum 15/bale and maybe over twenty it is expensive bedding. Even at 10/bale I question the economics as spreading is more expensive than slurry. Buy a few bags of MOP that will make up the K in the straw.

I gamble that most lads on this thread would be slow to build a straw bedded shed.

Greengrass1

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

If you can get straw for less than 10-12/bale every year it is an option. But if you are a distance from main tillage area and straw is minimum 15/bale and maybe over twenty it is expensive bedding. Even at 10/bale I question the economics as spreading is more expensive than slurry. Buy a few bags of MOP that will make up the K in the straw.


I gamble that most lads on this thread would be slow to build a straw bedded shed.

If we hadn't had dung here the land would still be ****e. Soil was cold and lifeless and couldn't be tilled from lack of OM.
No good having high p and k if your soil structure is ****e