Advice needed re: sheds etc

20silkcut

Here is the predicament I am in I have a cubicle house with an open slurry pit 1980's style in the pic below.

There is a large silage slab sloping down into this pit as well and one or two concrete aprons all feeding into it.
Basically the amount of cattle I can keep over the winter with this system is very limited.
My advisor is telling me I need to build a slatted shed. It is doable with the grant but it will mean selling off most of the herd and starting again.Loans are not an option.
I have a three span haybarn converted to a shed with a concrete floor. Also an old tie up milking parlour with concrete floor.
I am thinking of straw bedding them and keep thirty cattle over the winter. And hold off on shed until next year when funds may be better.
How do you feed round bales inside a shed where headroom is limited? I have visions of hardship clearing out straw etc.
There is an option of isolating the open slurry pit from the concrete yards with ramps which may cost a few thousand but would be a pain in the ass having ramps everywhere and I still have to get rid of the water.
Last option get the hell out of farming the amount of ****e you have to live with and regulations etc is unreal.

Username John

Know nothing about cattle - so this might not be the advise you looking for...

But could you out-winter some cattle on kale? Take the pressure off shed space? Neighbour here does it and works well for him...

Bullocks

20silkcut wrote: »

Here is the predicament I am in I have a cubicle house with an open slurry pit 1980's style in the pic below.

There is a large silage slab sloping down into this pit as well and one or two concrete aprons all feeding into it.
Basically the amount of cattle I can keep over the winter with this system is very limited.
My advisor is telling me I need to build a slatted shed. It is doable with the grant but it will mean selling off most of the herd and starting again.Loans are not an option.
I have a three span haybarn converted to a shed with a concrete floor. Also an old tie up milking parlour with concrete floor.
I am thinking of straw bedding them and keep thirty cattle over the winter. And hold off on shed until next year when funds may be better.
How do you feed round bales inside a shed where headroom is limited? I have visions of hardship clearing out straw etc.
There is an option of isolating the open slurry pit from the concrete yards with ramps which may cost a few thousand but would be a pain in the ass having ramps everywhere and I still have to get rid of the water.
Last option get the hell out of farming the amount of ****e you have to live with and regulations etc is unreal.

Could you cut down on the amount of stock your wintering ? There is no big profit in feeding all winter anyhow .

148multi

Bullocks wrote:

Could you cut down on the amount of stock your wintering ? There is no big profit in feeding all winter anyhow .

What part of the country you farm in will have a big impact on your choices and what type of land you farm?

Markcheese

If you can isolate as much of the yard as possible it makes sense,no point dirtying clean water... not sure if your worried about feeding in low shed-spreading straw or clearing out shed...
A bobcat would clear out most sheds, I always found the cattle spread most of the straw themselves... but a lot depends on access ect..

Miname

Put up a 3 bay tank off the grant and keep your cattle if possible. Stick a shed on it next year if you can and work from there. If you sell all your stock it's hard to replace them.

raypallas

Miname wrote:

Put up a 3 bay tank off the grant and keep your cattle if possible. Stick a shed on it next year if you can and work from there. If you sell all your stock it's hard to replace them.

Had a 4 bay double tank open for a winter or two with a strand of wire around it. Cows were happy out, they did have access to a shed for shelter but they spend most of the time outside.

20silkcut

Bullocks wrote: »

Could you cut down on the amount of stock your wintering ? There is no big profit in feeding all winter anyhow .

I could of course but then I run into problems of stocking rates for DAS and dumping cattle in the mart in oct/November

Bass Reeves

What type of cattle are you keeping. On how much land

greenpetrol

Could you work with converting your open slurry pit into slated pit ! Slats over existing slurry pit and in a few years put a shed over it

blue5000

greenpetrol wrote: »

Could you work with converting your open slurry pit into slated pit ! Slats over existing slurry pit and in a few years put a shed over it

How deep, what width is it? Maybe put a middle wall in it if it's too wide.

You could run into tax problems selling cattle (high profit 1 year) to pay for concrete which has to depreciated off over 7 years.

Was in a similar situation to you a few years back, put in a tank and slats outside the cubicle shed, no roof on it yet. Look for my post 'classic tractors at slurry' for a pic. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=99036275
Shed on right has cubicles.
Soiled water is what's killing you.

49801

For feeding rounds in shed with low roof could you exclude the animals from where your feeding and lift a round feeder up on its side. Drop bale in shed and put feeder over the bale.

foxy farmer

Would it be possible to create a feeding passage in the shed just wide enough for tractor. Dig holes concrete in 12-18" lengths of 4" box iron and stand 3" pipes in these to carry some type of barrier. Easy to dismantle when cleaning out bedding. You have a fine tank for converting to slats. What size is it?

Bass Reeves

20silkcut would it be possible to cut channel's along the pit and aprons and divert clean water away from pit. It is easy enough when it is diverted to put in a few soakways. You can get these gridded drains to carry the water. When making a soakway put a blue barrell with plenty of holes in it and place drainpipe into it. and a steel or concrete cover it so it can be cleared easy. This will prevent soakway blocking up with silt, mud and sops.

On a shed like this best bet is to make an external feeding face either by breaking some of the wall away or using a doorway as a feeding face. If feed is getting too wet either recess the barrier or put a canopy over it. Another way id to install half round feeders where you take out a section of walland fix them there. You can push the bale into them. A feed barrier is preferable as on barrier would do all cattle if on ad-lib silage

20silkcut

The tank is 80foot by 22 foot by 4 foot deep. It is surrounded by 1200 sq metres of a concrete yard. All run off from this yard ends up in the tank.

20silkcut

Bass Reeves wrote: »

20silkcut would it be possible to cut channel's along the pit and aprons and divert clean water away from pit. It is easy enough when it is diverted to put in a few soakways. You can get these gridded drains to carry the water. When making a soakway put a blue barrell with plenty of holes in it and place drainpipe into it. and a steel or concrete cover it so it can be cleared easy. This will prevent soakway blocking up with silt, mud and sops.

On a shed like this best bet is to make an external feeding face either by breaking some of the wall away or using a doorway as a feeding face. If feed is getting too wet either recess the barrier or put a canopy over it. Another way id to install half round feeders where you take out a section of walland fix them there. You can push the bale into them. A feed barrier is preferable as on barrier would do all cattle if on ad-lib silage

Yes I have seen channels cut across yards in a few places. Channels are probably better than ramps. But would they break up with traffic going over them.

blue5000

20silkcut wrote: »

The tank is 80foot by 22 foot by 4 foot deep. It is surrounded by 1200 sq metres of a concrete yard. All run off from this yard ends up in the tank.

Middle wall and an extra 2 foot on top of the walls, 11'6 slats end to end might work so, how many cubicles are in front of the tractor?
What else is there to the right of the tractor, would there be space for slatted feed passage outside the cubicles? I know it's more expensive, but long term might be best option.
Sorry about all the questions. If all the slurry could be contained there, rest of the rain water could be kept clean and diverted as Bass says.

Bass Reeves

20silkcut wrote: »

Yes I have seen channels cut across yards in a few places. Channels are probably better than ramps. But would they break up with traffic going over them.

Take out a 2'(0.6M) wide channel( you may get away with 18''. Get a road saw to cut concrete. You need the underneath to be solid so use a digger to dig out starting at about 15-18'' deep and follow the flow put in 6-8'' hardcore and whack with a whacker now lay the channels in concrete with 6'' underneath the channel's. below are the channel types that you could use, but the heavy type are expensive.

https://www.donedeal.ie/buildingmaterials-for-sale/cast-drains-plastic-drains-paving-manhole/12139804

However you really only need them where you are driving over you could put open channels either side of them or just use grids over concrete channels.

Is the center passage in the cubicle house going all the way to the back wall if it is knock out the wall at end of passage and install your feed barrier there. After that you slurry pit is not guarded I would slat it before I fence it not much difference in cost.

greenpetrol

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Take out a 2'(0.6M) wide channel( you may get away with 18''. Get a road saw to cut concrete. You need the underneath to be solid so use a digger to dig out starting at about 15-18'' deep and follow the flow put in 6-8'' hardcore and whack with a whacker now lay the channels in concrete with 6'' underneath the channel's. below are the channel types that you could use, but the heavy type are expensive.

https://www.donedeal.ie/buildingmaterials-for-sale/cast-drains-plastic-drains-paving-manhole/12139804

However you really only need them where you are driving over you could put open channels either side of them or just use grids over concrete channels.

Is the center passage in the cubicle house going all the way to the back wall if it is knock out the wall at end of passage and install your feed barrier there. After that you slurry pit is not guarded I would slat it before I fence it not much difference in cost.

What is the minimum depth needed for a slatted tank ? Would 4ft be enough

Cavanjack

greenpetrol wrote: »

What is the minimum depth needed for a slatted tank ? Would 4ft be enough

8' minimum IMO. At 4' you could only half stock the shed or the tank would fill up in no time. Also it would work out expensive per gallon of storage doing a tank at 4'.

greenpetrol

Cavanjack wrote: »

8' minimum IMO. At 4' you could only half stock the shed or the tank would fill up in no time. Also it would work out expensive per gallon of storage doing a tank at 4'.

Reason I'm asking about 4 ft is my existing open tank is 4 ft deep ! I know it could be raised but then it's above existing cubicle house and silage pit ! Would like to incorporate old yard into any changes

Cavanjack

greenpetrol wrote: »

Reason I'm asking about 4 ft is my existing open tank is 4 ft deep ! I know it could be raised but then it's above existing cubicle house and silage pit ! Would like to incorporate old yard into any changes

I think you would only be rooting putting slats over that tank. If you think you could put up a slatted shed next year then I would wait and do that. Dig up that old tank, knock the walls, dig a few foot deeper and put the slatted shed there.
Apply for the planning and the grant this year and have that out of the way.
As for your stock Try and rent a shed or a few pens off somebody for this winter to house your stock.

20silkcut

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Take out a 2'(0.6M) wide channel( you may get away with 18''. Get a road saw to cut concrete. You need the underneath to be solid so use a digger to dig out starting at about 15-18'' deep and follow the flow put in 6-8'' hardcore and whack with a whacker now lay the channels in concrete with 6'' underneath the channel's. below are the channel types that you could use, but the heavy type are expensive.

https://www.donedeal.ie/buildingmaterials-for-sale/cast-drains-plastic-drains-paving-manhole/12139804

However you really only need them where you are driving over you could put open channels either side of them or just use grids over concrete channels.

Is the center passage in the cubicle house going all the way to the back wall if it is knock out the wall at end of passage and install your feed barrier there. After that you slurry pit is not guarded I would slat it before I fence it not much difference in cost.

Yes I could DIY most of that. How do you gauge how big a soak pit should be. Is there a size relative to the area it's draining.
I was thinking of just dumping everything in the open pit and just make it a dungstead. Making that pit deeper sounds like a lot of hard work.
I could straw bed all the sheds cubicle house and all.

20silkcut

Cavanjack wrote: »

I think you would only be rooting putting slats over that tank. If you think you could put up a slatted shed next year then I would wait and do that. Dig up that old tank, knock the walls, dig a few foot deeper and put the slatted shed there.
Apply for the planning and the grant this year and have that out of the way.
As for your stock Try and rent a shed or a few pens off somebody for this winter to house your stock.

What would it cost to to put in a centre wall and slat an area 80foot long by 22 wide. Would ten grand get you away?
Would a grant not cover some of that.

Surely ripping it all up would be hardship and a mountain of rubble to contend with. And really don't need a shed with those dimensions on its footprint.
I have a 56 bay cubicle house and a three span concrete floor haybarn and two disused milking parlours and collecting yard. Max amount of animals I will probably ever have will hardly exceed 100 hard to justify more shed space.

Will put a slatted tank and feeding area on the end of the cubicle house in due course I reckon.

bullnuts

In a very simular position and reading this thread prompted me to join and explain my situation! Mass concrete open slurry pit 50 x 60 x 4.6 foot deep ! Waiting on a quote from local contractor to slat it over and use as a feeding area ! Also is a lot safer covered ! Have a picture but can't seem to up load at the moment

Toplink

Hi Folks,

I am planning a slatted shed with a creep area at the back and an indoor crush.

Is there any existing decent shed design that that incorporated this?

Likely to be a singe side, 4 bay shed.

Farrell

Toplink wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I am planning a slatted shed with a creep area at the back and an indoor crush.

Is there any existing decent shed design that that incorporated this?

Likely to be a singe side, 4 bay shed.

Make it good & big, if it was me:
I'd go 16ft Slat with a 12ft creep, that could be changed to a feeding passage of your system ever changed.
Then12ft collection area which could be subdivided for seperate groups, 4ft handler area with access points, followed by crush.

Toplink

Farrell wrote: »

Toplink wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I am planning a slatted shed with a creep area at the back and an indoor crush.

Is there any existing decent shed design that that incorporated this?

Likely to be a singe side, 4 bay shed.

Make it good & big, if it was me:
I'd go 16ft Slat with a 12ft creep, that could be changed to a feeding passage of your system ever changed.
Then12ft collection area which could be subdivided for seperate groups, 4ft handler area with access points, followed by crush.

Thanks lad,

Well I'll be getting the 60% so i'll build a right one when I am at it. Part time farming sucklers now and prob for the foreseeable so this is a chance to make things as future proof as possible.

Miname

Toplink wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I am planning a slatted shed with a creep area at the back and an indoor crush.

Is there any existing decent shed design that that incorporated this?

Likely to be a singe side, 4 bay shed.

Keep the crush out of the shed, leave the creep as creep and put in a separate handling unit.

blue5000

Toplink wrote: »

Thanks lad,

Well I'll be getting the 60% so i'll build a right one when I am at it. Part time farming sucklers now and prob for the foreseeable so this is a chance to make things as future proof as possible.

Saw a creep area with rubber over slats on one of the 'better' farms last winter, seemed to be working well, not cheap, very labour friendly though.

Toplink

Miname wrote: »

Toplink wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I am planning a slatted shed with a creep area at the back and an indoor crush.

Is there any existing decent shed design that that incorporated this?

Likely to be a singe side, 4 bay shed.

Keep the crush out of the shed

Any specific reason for this?