weanling housing

massey265

Am after a bit off advice on housing for weanling bulls, am going to go ahead and put one up this year please God but not going down the slatted shed road. What do any off yous use, am thinking cubicles as they would have some where clean to ly, with a passage between that and feeding barrier at front, what are the cons to this? Do the bull weanlings ly up in cubicles? Any thoughts are welcome.

charolais0153

massey265 wrote: »

Am after a bit off advice on housing for weanling bulls, am going to go ahead and put one up this year please God but not going down the slatted shed road. What do any off yous use, am thinking cubicles as they would have some where clean to ly, with a passage between that and feeding barrier at front, what are the cons to this? Do the bull weanlings ly up in cubicles? Any thoughts are welcome.

Slatted shed ia most cost effective. Why dont you eant to use it

massey265

charolais0153 wrote:

Slatted shed ia most cost effective. Why dont you eant to use it

It's the slurry and getting it out here on fields and the weather isn't making the fields any drier year on year.

patsy_mccabe

You going to need slurry storage so why not cover the tank with slats. We housed 18 month bullocks for years on cubicles. Problem is their plumbing. They piss all over them and so always wet.

Bass Reeves

massey265 wrote: »

It's the slurry and getting it out here on fields and the weather isn't making the fields any drier year on year.

You will have slurry off cubicles as well only difference is you will have more of it. Most of the reason lads have an issue with spreading slurry is they do not build a tank big enough. You should be going 2.7M deep and the long the slat the more slurry/sq meter lying area it can sore.

TwoOldBoots

I'd be in favor of straw or wood chipped bedding under Weanlings. The slats are cold and harsh on young cattle. Put up a shed with a big slope and channel off the piss into a tank

White Clover

TwoOldBoots wrote: »

I'd be in favor of straw or wood chipped bedding under Weanlings. The slats are cold and harsh on young cattle. Put up a shed with a big slope and channel off the piss into a tank

I have stock in slatted house and also on cubicles and open yard. The stock on the slats have thrived every day whereas the stock on the cubicles and on the same feed have barely maintained themselves while a few have gone backwards.

TwoOldBoots

White Clover wrote: »

I have stock in slatted house and also on cubicles and open yard. The stock on the slats have thrived every day whereas the stock on the cubicles and on the same feed have barely maintained themselves while a few have gone backwards.

Its the coldness of the slats, the younger cattle can't warm themselves or they use energy trying to warm
I can't comment on your situation, but from experience the weanlen needs to be 9 months+ before seeing slats

Mooooo

massey265 wrote: »

It's the slurry and getting it out here on fields and the weather isn't making the fields any drier year on year.

You'll have the same amount of slurry with cubicles. Only way to reduce slurry is straw bedding but will need a tank for runoff. Woodchip doesn't stay as clean under a roof, works better outside in a standoff pad as rain cleans it. Tbh with regulations you'll need a tank to store it anyway so slats prob best option. Use rubber on them if you want

Bass Reeves

TwoOldBoots wrote: »

Its the coldness of the slats, the younger cattle can't warm themselves or they use energy trying to warm
I can't comment on your situation, but from experience the weanlen needs to be 9 months+ before seeing slats

If you are worried about weanling on slats get mats on the pen. Never have an issue with weanling on slats. This year I have some on mats and some plain slats. Biggest issue is draughts. Weanling are last housed and tank is always a third full which helps. Cover agitating points to prevent draughts for first 10 days after housing.

Straw bedded, woodchip, cubicles are all extra work and cost more even in the short term rather than slats.

Who2

A slatted tank with a straw bed or woodchip lye back. just make sure to put a timber in front of the lye back so you dont end up with a disaster of a tank to agitate. youve the best of both worlds and not much dearer than slats alone.
with the price of straw i dont think straw beddding is going to be a runner long term.

Hard Knocks

Can you spread woodchip as you would top dressing?

massey265

Who2 wrote:

A slatted tank with a straw bed or woodchip lye back.

Thing is I don't want to be putting up a tank was more thinking off a passage falling towards a dung pit and just having manure to spread and not having to worry about getting heavy plant wit slurry tank on fields.
How many weanlings would you fit in each bay wit cubicles?
I have a idea when it comes to bull Plumbing on cubicles, ou sure is it fool proof tho.

blue5000

Who2 wrote: »

A slatted tank with a straw bed or woodchip lye back. just make sure to put a timber in front of the lye back so you dont end up with a disaster of a tank to agitate. youve the best of both worlds and not much dearer than slats alone.
with the price of straw i dont think straw beddding is going to be a runner long term.

I mostly agree with this, wood chip with slats is a disaster. Years ago I worked in Denmark on a farm with bull beef. They had a pit about 3 feet deep at the back of the pen, where the straw bed was. The bulls walked up steps to a slatted feed barrier. The logic behind it was that when the bulls got up to the top of the steps their feet were fairly clean so no straw got down the slats. For mucking out the bulls were closed up on the slats.

One of the good things about it was that when the bulls were all lying down you were above them so it was very easy to spot a bull not thriving or off form.

Wood chip might work with this system, but wood chip uses a lot of N to break it down. OP you sound like you are not in a part of the country where straw is available. I've had finishing bulls in cubicles with slatted passages, worked ok but they wreck the place:o

cute geoge

massey265 wrote: »

Thing is I don't want to be putting up a tank was more thinking off a passage falling towards a dung pit and just having manure to spread and not having to worry about getting heavy plant wit slurry tank on fields.
How many weanlings would you fit in each bay wit cubicles?
I have a idea when it comes to bull Plumbing on cubicles, ou sure is it fool proof tho.

I remember vaguely someone putting pictures up here of his setup which was identical to what you were on about ,it was a simple lay out ans worked well .
Maybe someone else will remember it also and get a link to it for you

Who2

blue5000 wrote: »

I mostly agree with this, wood chip with slats is a disaster. Years ago I worked in Denmark on a farm with bull beef. They had a pit about 3 feet deep at the back of the pen, where the straw bed was. The bulls walked up steps to a slatted feed barrier. The logic behind it was that when the bulls got up to the top of the steps their feet were fairly clean so no straw got down the slats. For mucking out the bulls were closed up on the slats.

One of the good things about it was that when the bulls were all lying down you were above them so it was very easy to spot a bull not thriving or off form.

Wood chip might work with this system, but wood chip uses a lot of N to break it down. OP you sound like you are not in a part of the country where straw is available. I've had finishing bulls in cubicles with slatted passages, worked ok but they wreck the place:o

I work wood chip on the Creep areas. I’ve spread fresh chip and I’ve spread two year old stuff and had no issue. Putting up cubicles for weanlings is daft. They’ll be too small for other stock and another expense for a low margin game.

massey265

Who2 wrote:

Putting up cubicles for weanlings is daft. They’ll be too small for other stock and another expense for a low margin game.

Do you get cubicles that adjust on main runner bars?