3 bay slatted shed costs 2017/18

Dunedin wrote: »

Would ye recommend tractor slats or normal.

€600 extra for a 3 bay on 14’ 6” slats. Doesn’t seem too much but would welcome boardies views.

grassroot1 wrote: »

Unless you need to drive on them for access why would you bother

maidhc wrote: »

Absolutely get it. You never know when you need to lift out an animal, or just do maintenance. A tractor slat will probably last longer too. Indeed I think most of the good companies are only doing tractor slats now (9 -10 inch)

I think I would be with Grassroots on this one. Most Irish slats are tractor are very highly spec'ed and British rating are lower than Irelands. If the difference is that little I imagine that there is no difference in the slats except the cert.

As for going on slats with a tractor I am not sure when slats are 10-15 years old I would put a tractor on them. The spec of modern Irish slats is excessive anyway and if you check load bearing most are rated to take axel weights of 4T anyway. This is higher than the axle weight of most tractors up to 100hp.

As for slats lasting longer again the spec is so high that most slats will have a 60+ year lifespan. Most horror stories of slat failing are from single or early gang slats. I have not seen any slats to grant spec put in from the early 90's replaced. these are hitting 30 years old. I have seen H irons that are rotten with rust and abestos roofs from over specing on them

Keep the 600 euro and spend it on a bit of concrete around the shed, or a few floodlighs, fencing etc.

FeelTheBern wrote: »

+1 Think last time I was looking at slats, the companies I contacted all quoting for them as standard now

If I remember correctly The last slats I got that were department were spec'ed to carry 2ton/axle/slat. I be surprised if Dundedin are not a similar spec. The time of the large grant scheme in the late noughties I bought slats off Creagh conc in NI and they were Tractor spec in the UK but not in the republic.

If it is a 3 bay open fronted shed how likely is it you will need to put wheels of a tractor on the slats to remove an animal which is unlikely anyway. If it is an open fronted shed and you want to do maintenance you can put a trailer or rollaway scaffolding on slats to work on. Like I said in 15-20 years time would you risk a tractor on them anyway.

Most new sub 100 tractors are only 4 ton anyway. Yes 600 is small money in the price of a shed but I would have spend it elsewhere rather than on future proofing or bomb proofing something for what might never happen

LastOrders wrote: »

Would a 3 bay slatted shed house many stock? At the prices quoted here seems like you would be a few years paying that back with or without grant. Keep hearing lads say they are as cheap to construct without grant, might be just talk.

It would all depend on the size of the slats. If you used 16'6'' slats and a 2-3' toe space front and back you would get 20-22 300kg weanling/pen, 14-17 450-500kgs store/pen 13 finishing cattle or about the same in cows /pen

LastOrders wrote: »

So 3 pens and approx 40 finishing cattle? Would you make €8000 on them? Shed cost 50/60k?

if it cost you any more than 25k (and i mean actually cost after vat, whether grant was taken or not) then the lad paying for its a clown.
how much money do you make on your car? would you make 8k on it per annum? most people will spend 30-40k on a brand new car without thinking about it, and itll only loose money but will argue over the price of a shed.

If you went for the grant and after vat I imagine that the cost would be in or around the 20K mark. You have to look at it as to how it will add value to your farming enterprise. It may allow you to increase you stock levels, it would reduce the workload during the winter and make farming a sustainable enterprise as you get older.

As well it would mean that you would have early grass and maybe along with paddocks give you a greater weight gain/animal over the couse of a year.

MikeSoys wrote: »

Tams 2 sheds are more expensive but if you can get >=40% back and the shed is being built to a higher standard under tams i think its really worth looking at.

I was out wintering stores but am building a 4 bay single under tams2 ... the irish weather is getting so wet in winter i feel out wintered cattle will be a thing of the past

Have You a price got for the complete job? Planning on a 4 bay with 16'6 slat later on this year.

MikeSoys wrote: »

Well Grant spec requires thicker tank walls and more steel in the tank..of which i was told it doesent need to be that thick or need that much steel. Also hardcore around the tank needs to be compacted... so if you were building a non grant tank you could make the tank wall thinner and with less steel

Hardcore around the tank needs to be compacted anyway, you should see the mess if it isn't. Theres around 160 per bay saving going from a 12" wall down to 9". Not really worth it imo. The steels a big save, a four bay in mesh sheets and tied with 1/2" rebar will cost around 1200 and two good lads would have it tied and ready in no time. Done to grant the steel could cost up on 3k and take an age to tie.

charolais0153 wrote: »

That pen would hold more but only 6 would feed at a time. We fit 5 750kg cows comfortably with calves at foot on a 10'6 slat with a foot of toe space

I'd always go seven to a pen with cows, they'll fit comfortably along the feed barrier. My cows would be averaging between 650-700 kg mark. Rarely over 800 kg. A 12' 6" tank at 8' will hold all the slurry I have in a normal year where they go in the start of November and out the end of march. This year I could do with the 16' 6" slat but with cows I don't like going anymore to a bay than seven no matter how big the slat is although I often put 30 cows to a 4 bay and leave all divisions out and they seem to get on grand but you would see all the timid ones down to one end.

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

For example a 3 bay tank will take 8.5 meters extra to go from 300 to 400 , not a lot that way and u will have super job , grant spec I was told was designed for the worst conditions so if ground is good where u are u could be totally happy with the 300 thick ,

Grant spec for a 9 ft tank is 225mm same as 8 ft. More steel. Spine walls are 300mm.

Joebobs wrote: »

After you build and compete your tams 2 slatted shed...can you let cattle into it right away or does the department need to inspect it before putting cattle in?

Department never inspected mine

Joebobs wrote: »

Yeah but knowing my luck they prop want to exray the walls and cement too. Not that i would mind but i best ring the department i the new year to get someone to confirm. Did you put in mats into ur shed? If so who did you go with? Are ya beef or dairy?

No I just done tank. Mats not available on Tams I thought. Beef. Put tanks in front of existing shed.will cover over in further sometime when I have tank payed for.

Dunedin wrote: »

Doing a shed without the grant but planning to put vented sheeting on side facing south west.

Was chatting a fella who told me that the vented sheeting is a waste of time

Anyone any views on it.

There was a chat here somewhere a couple of weeks ago , I think the vented sheeting doesn't let enough air through really . The timber slats would be more free flowing

massey148 wrote: »

I regret going for planning for mine.got turned done for livestock housing.was told it was not a farming area even though the farm yard and byres are in use for 200 years.they don't want farming to interfere with tourism.rest of farm is sac land and they wouldn't a low any housing there either.they allowed me to put up a 2 bay dry storage shed that's it.stuck mucking out Byers.should have just built it and said nothing as it can't be seen anyway.

Appeal to an bord pleanala. In general most farm planning is fairly straight forward. Look up you county development plan. Look for planning to knock existing Byres and then do the non planning route. I suspect that the planner in the council you are dealing with has an agenda . As well look at getting a local councillor involved

massey148 wrote: »

I'be already jumped through all the hoops and that's all they are willing to grant.they have an agenda alright.they have granted permission for a massive hotel and apartment complex further down my road and then they are holding the irish open half a mile away on other side so us farmers are being squeezed out.God forbid if rory mcelroy looked over a ditch and saw one of us peasants speading dung.tempted to spread slurry the week of the open and tell them I had no tank to store it

Well you farm in a beautiful part of the country if it's any consolation to you.
I wouldn't be letting it go. Appeal it, Get all your local councillors and every TD in the area to make submissions. Push the rural depopulation agenda. Make out if you don't get it your finished farming there and will have to plant the place. You could always put in a tank and in time cover it over if your not successful.