Straw bedded or slatted shed

farawaygrass

If ye were building a new shed, which should ye go for? I'm leaning more towards straw bedded atm

farawaygrass

I said wrote: »

Slatted

Do you think? My reason for leaning towards straw bedded is that the slatted shed is a lot more expensive and I think dung is great for land. How deep would you want the tanks I wonder? There was a draft plan of both sheds om the journal a whole back and they had eight ft tanks, I thought half that would have done

razor8

I have both here, while the slatted is very handy and tanks are handy for importing slurry I think dung is very underrated as a fertiliser.

charolais0153

farawaygrass wrote: »

Do you think? My reason for leaning towards straw bedded is that the slatted shed is a lot more expensive and I think dung is great for land. How deep would you want the tanks I wonder? There was a draft plan of both sheds om the journal a whole back and they had eight ft tanks, I thought half that would have done

Ours are 4ft and 6 at agitation points and it only gets emptied every 3 years

charolais0153

farawaygrass wrote: »

If ye were building a new shed, which should ye go for? I'm leaning more towards straw bedded atm

If your near a tillage area straw is the way to go. Of straw is dear/scarce go slatted like the ones in athenry .I wouldn't recommend concrete slats.

rangler1

I've seen farmers with a 18ins tank and a ramp down into it, lift the slats and clean it with a loader bucket

farawaygrass

Apologies-i looked at the farmers journal article there and the tanks are four foot.

farawaygrass

charolais0153 wrote: »

If your near a tillage area straw is the way to go. Of straw is dear/scarce go slatted like the ones in athenry .I wouldn't recommend concrete slats.

Not near tillage, based in the west. But we have a good relationship with a tillage farmer down the country-buying off him for years. The cost references in the journal say the slatted shed is 30,000e dearer. That would of but straw for a long time!!

farawaygrass

rangler1 wrote: »

I've seen farmers with a 18ins tank and a ramp down into it, lift the slats and clean it with a loader bucket

Good idea. I seen a hen house like that before.

ganmo

Having a flat concrete floor gives ya huge versatility.
Straw vs imported slurry is a bit of a toss up imo.

The ground here makes it unattractive to put a tank in.

ganmo

There's a pic on twitter of a load of straw on a ferry out to one of the islands

sheepfarmer92

Id go straw myself but were in meath so straw is plentiful, neighbour has a lot of sheep on concrete slats and doednt rate them atal, sheep arent much better on theyre feet either, he put plastic slats into an existing shed 3 years ago and thinks theyre a good job but very expensive to put in

Lano Lynn

how many are you housing?

the versitility of a straw bed shed is hard to beat,slats are not that great for lambing on and where do you pen up individual pens?bought in straw has a nutient input value.that said it has to be stored somewhere another shed?

the layout of the sheds in the journal are sh1te more to do with selling expensive troughs etc they are labour intensive and rough on sheep

White Clover

Would posters here be willing to describe what they think is best design of sheep house?Photos/drawings very welcomeðŸ˜

rangler1

White Clover wrote: »

Would posters here be willing to describe what they think is best design of sheep house?Photos/drawings very welcomeðŸ˜

The easiest design i have is the tunnel, a passage down the middle with narrow pens each side.....unfortunately it's also the most expensive way to set it up but sheep sheds need a lot of trough space.
I also have a shed set up with walk through troughs, it has more sheep per sq mtr but more work as well.
And then i have a shed that i feed front and back and you'd be nearly killed going to the back of the pen with meal. Even though adult ewes are in it now they'll be changed next week and ewe lambs will go into it and won't be as rough.

White Clover

rangler1 wrote: »

The easiest design i have is the tunnel, a passage down the middle with narrow pens each side.....unfortunately it's also the most expensive way to set it up but sheep sheds need a lot of trough space.
I also have a shed set up with walk through troughs, it has more sheep per sq mtr but more work as well.
And then i have a shed that i feed front and back and you'd be nearly killed going to the back of the pen with meal. Even though adult ewes are in it now they'll be changed next week and ewe lambs will go into it and won't be as rough.

Thanks rangler. Another poster in another thread said it can be hard to spot ewes going to lamb in narrow pens?

There hasn't been sheep owned on this farm for 20 years. I've had ewes in grazing in nov/Dec for a couple of years now and I think they definitely have a role to play. I think they will make a return this spring. I'm just planning ahead for next winter!

farawaygrass

Lano Lynn wrote: »

how many are you housing?

the versitility of a straw bed shed is hard to beat,slats are not that great for lambing on and where do you pen up individual pens?bought in straw has a nutient input value.that said it has to be stored somewhere another shed?

the layout of the sheds in the journal are sh1te more to do with selling expensive troughs etc they are labour intensive and rough on sheep

I am lambing aprox 100 at the moment but would be hoping to push up to 150/175. Regards penning, there would be a lean-to across from the new proposed shed so would have pens there. As we use straw already there is a shed there for that, and it's capable of storing more straw. As I said before I like the idea of straw as I thing dung is great for the land. Someone mentioned to me the other day silage would make the straw bedding very wet and recommended hayledge. It would be handy to be able use the shed for calves, storing machinery etc which slats would eliminate. I am leaning towards the straw a lot more but just want to do enough research first and not be sorry later. I might try visit Athenry sometime if possible.

rangler1

White Clover wrote: »

Thanks rangler. Another poster in another thread said it can be hard to spot ewes going to lamb in narrow pens?

There hasn't been sheep owned on this farm for 20 years. I've had ewes in grazing in nov/Dec for a couple of years now and I think they definitely have a role to play. I think they will make a return this spring. I'm just planning ahead for next winter!

Ewes are very easy caught in narrow pens, our ewes seem to go to the same corner of each pen when they go to lamb, when you get used to them you'll spot lambing ones as soon as you go into the shed.
I don't lamb anything in the tunnel if I can avoid it because at 12ft wide they're too hard caught, most of the pens in the shed I lamb all my ewes in are 7ft wide
If you're lambing in march, most of your straw'll be used and you'll have plenty of room for individual pens

White Clover

rangler1 wrote: »

Ewes are very easy caught in narrow pens, our ewes seem to go to the same corner of each pen when they go to lamb, when you get used to them you'll spot lambing ones as soon as you go into the shed.
I don't lamb anything in the tunnel if I can avoid it because at 12ft wide they're too hard caught, most of the pens in the shed I lamb all my ewes in are 7ft wide
If you're lambing in march, most of your straw'll be used and you'll have plenty of room for individual pens

With 16ft bays and 10 ewes per bay, is 10ft deep too big?

rangler1

White Clover wrote: »

With 16ft bays and 10 ewes per bay, is 10ft deep too big?

Wouldn't think so but if the pen is 4 bays long with 40 sheep in it you could have a problem...how many bays is in each pen

White Clover

rangler1 wrote: »

Wouldn't think so but if the pen is 4 bays long with 40 sheep in it you could have a problem...how many bays is in each pen

I would pen each bay separate, so 10 ewes per bay.
The pens are 16ft deep in total, feeding barrier at front, 10 ft sheep pen, 6 ft deep mothering pens and there's a walk way behind that then.
That's the plan. What do you think?

rangler1

White Clover wrote: »

I would pen each bay separate, so 10 ewes per bay.
The pens are 16ft deep in total, feeding barrier at front, 10 ft sheep pen, 6 ft deep mothering pens and there's a walk way behind that then.
That's the plan. What do you think?

You've loadsa room any way, I have to bring the lambed ewes to one of the straw sheds in a trolley which is a pain, nice to have the individual pens beside the pen.

White Clover

rangler1 wrote: »

You've loadsa room any way, I have to bring the lambed ewes to one of the straw sheds in a trolley which is a pain, nice to have the individual pens beside the pen.

Ya, I might have to do a bit of that early on too. Would try and keep it as simple as possible if I can.

stantheman1979

Wire mesh slats here. 7ft pens so narrow enough. If u can't see a ewe lambing from 7 ft away get another job. There's pros and cons with the slats. No bedding saves a lot of time. And just give them a power hose and they're perfect. It's easy to see and catch sheep with the narrow pens. On the other hand they are cold to lamb on, u would want to shear sheep or slats will block. Also using baled silage they will block them. Overall I like them but sheep look so much snugged on straw.

serfspup

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4-4-16 022.JPG

serfspup

farawaygrass wrote: »

I am lambing aprox 100 at the moment but would be hoping to push up to 150/175. Regards penning, there would be a lean-to across from the new proposed shed so would have pens there. As we use straw already there is a shed there for that, and it's capable of storing more straw. As I said before I like the idea of straw as I thing dung is great for the land. Someone mentioned to me the other day silage would make the straw bedding very wet and recommended hayledge. It would be handy to be able use the shed for calves, storing machinery etc which slats would eliminate. I am leaning towards the straw a lot more but just want to do enough research first and not be sorry later. I might try visit Athenry sometime if possible.

they will use a bit more straw on pit silage .good ventilation ie space sheeting on the roof. 300 head using 2 8X4X3 bales every 5-7 days here depending on the weather.

100 ewes = 5bay shed central feed passage 10ft min for tractor (3ft min for wheelbarrow)

farawaygrass

serfspup wrote: »

they will use a bit more straw on pit silage .good ventilation ie space sheeting on the roof. 300 head using 2 8X4X3 bales every 5-7 days here depending on the weather.

100 ewes = 5bay shed central feed passage 10ft min for tractor (3ft min for wheelbarrow)

Is that the large square bales of straw? Thanks for the picutures. Is that bark mulch you are using too?

sheepfarmer92

Heres pics of our 2 main sheds, theyre 60x90ft all straw bedded,and each hold 400 winter sheared ewes comfortably, have 12 ft feed passage and walkthrough feeders for meal, every two links is a pen in the new one and every link is a pen in the old one, have lambing pens in lean to in the old shed and it works pretty well, both sheds have only been bedded twice so far takes 2 4x4 bales for each one, ewes are in since 18th december

tractorporn

farawaygrass wrote: »

If ye were building a new shed, which should ye go for? I'm leaning more towards straw bedded atm

We have a solid floored shed with walk through feeders for the sheep here. Have gone away from straw though as we found that it was wrapping around the ewes feet. Tried sawdust last year and have stayed with it again this year, it made a great dry, warm bed for the sheep. We have it breaking down in a pit for this year as it takes a lot longer to break down than straw.

serfspup

yes big squares, not using bark pens were probably due bedding
drive in with bale into centre pen laeve half at the rear of the shed half in the front
fork accross to the outside pen.

pens are 10ft along the wall 12 ft in centre
the narrower pens actually use more straw.
individual pens set up as required
(have a straw bale set on top for convienience)

not very clear in the photos but there is a race running along the back of the shed behing the small pens

farawaygrass

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Heres pics of our 2 main sheds, theyre 60x90ft all straw bedded,and each hold 400 winter sheared ewes comfortably, have 12 ft feed passage and walkthrough feeders for meal, every two links is a pen in the new one and every link is a pen in the old one, have lambing pens in lean to in the old shed and it works pretty well, both sheds have only been bedded twice so far takes 2 4x4 bales for each one, ewes are in since 18th december

Impressive. Very easy going on straw so

farawaygrass

tractorporn wrote: »

We have a solid floored shed with walk through feeders for the sheep here. Have gone away from straw though as we found that it was wrapping around the ewes feet. Tried sawdust last year and have stayed with it again this year, it made a great dry, warm bed for the sheep. We have it breaking down in a pit for this year as it takes a lot longer to break down than straw.

I remember when I was young an old neighbor using sawdust, not sure why he stopped. But they seemed to stay very clean

sheepfarmer92

farawaygrass wrote: »

Impressive. Very easy going on straw so

Thanks, yea but theyre gettin haylage so its keepin evetything very dry, i do spread lime on the floor of each shed most weeks when sheep are being footbathed and it helps keep footrot at bay touchwood

stantheman1979

serfspup wrote: »

yes big squares, not using bark pens were probably due bedding
drive in with bale into centre pen laeve half at the rear of the shed half in the front
fork accross to the outside pen.

pens are 10ft along the wall 12 ft in centre
the narrower pens actually use more straw.
individual pens set up as required
(have a straw bale set on top for convienience)

not very clear in the photos but there is a race running along the back of the shed behing the small pens

How do you get silage in?? For bedding you drive into the centre pen of sheep and fork it over the gates to the next pens?? How do you get ewes/lambs out of those lambing pens bring them through the rest of the sheep? You just make the pens when required could you not set up a few in another shed it would save you time setting them up all the time

serfspup

for straw sheep put out in the footbath drive in half big square in the back of the shed half in the front,fork half across the feed passage.

doesn't take long to set up pens and having the pens at the back of the shed is where most of the ewes lamb so they can be slipped into the individual pen in seconds.

there is a door at the rear of the shed to let ewes and lambs out without having to go through the rest of the ewes.

silage is fed by diet feeder:D
diet feeder 2.JPG

stantheman1979

Sure we all have our ways of doing things. It's what works best for us. Best of luck hope lambing goes well for you.

farawaygrass

I asked someone during the week who travels to a lot of farms and he said them green plastic sheep slats are a great job. It put me thinking again I suppose. If you were house ewes from start to mid December and keeping them in for lambing until start of march, would there be an awful height of straw bed under them?

Username John

farawaygrass wrote: »

I asked someone during the week who travels to a lot of farms and he said them green plastic sheep slats are a great job. It put me thinking again I suppose. If you were house ewes from start to mid December and keeping them in for lambing until start of march, would there be an awful height of straw bed under them?

Surely location and so availability of straw will determine the slats vs straw debate?

If you can get straw for a reasonable price, then I think the benefits for the ewe and lamb, plus the huge benefit of dung to the land afterwards outweigh the benefits of slats?
Plus you have a shed that's more adaptable...

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/cereal-crops/spring-cereals/fertiliser/

Table on page above shows the P and K take off in a crop of barley straw.
If you assume 3 ton / acre barley, and 9 round bales / acre
That makes the straw have a P of 1.2 and a K of 20.1 per acre or - a P and K of 0.13 and 2.3 per bale...
Plus there is the benefit after this if the organic matter...

But - I say all this with straw being reasonably easily gotten around here...

Green farmer

Slightly off topic, but any way to spread last years manure without a muck spreader ? Land leveller any good ?

Username John

Green farmer wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but any way to spread last years manure without a muck spreader ? Land leveller any good ?

You mean dung that was spread last winter but still on the ground?

Chain harrow is what lads use I would think?

If you don't have one, and you have lots of dung still on the ground, I'd be looking at the closest big hawthorn bush
But I'm mane out too

Green farmer

Ive last years manure pile still in the shed and was going to spread it somehow, but not enough there to warrant getting a contractor in.

sea12

Green farmer wrote: »

Ive last years manure pile still in the shed and was going to spread it somehow, but not enough there to warrant getting a contractor in.

Yea I bought an old jf dung spreader for that reason. Never could justify bringing in a contractor but it was gathering up all the same. Find it very handy and get to spread the fields you want when you want. It's amazing the difference dung makes to land

Username John

Green farmer wrote: »

Ive last years manure pile still in the shed and was going to spread it somehow, but not enough there to warrant getting a contractor in.

I see evenings with the transport box and a pike in your future

Username John

sea12 wrote: »

Yea I bought an old jf dung spreader for that reason. Never could justify bringing in a contractor but it was gathering up all the same. Find it very handy and get to spread the fields you want when you want. It's amazing the difference dung makes to land

Actually, we have one of those at home in the shed. Hasn't been moved in over 20 years I'd say... chains broke, and was backed in and that was that...

Was handy all right to be fair...

Too heavy to use around here tho, although dung would do the ground the world of good, but just too high for the job...

Green farmer

Username John wrote: »

I see evenings with the transport box and a pike in your future

I'm too old for pike ,Thinking transport box and land leveller

Username John

Green farmer wrote: »

I'm too old for pike ,Thinking transport box and land leveller

You are not... don't put yourself down Green... you can do it

I would have thought though that you'd have a nice bit of dung for the contractor to spread?

If I were you, I'd try to get as much straw as I could, and make as much dung as you could. Keep a savage bed under the ewes at all times... it'll help those fields you were debating reseeding no end...

farawaygrass

Username John wrote: »

Surely location and so availability of straw will determine the slats vs straw debate?

If you can get straw for a reasonable price, then I think the benefits for the ewe and lamb, plus the huge benefit of dung to the land afterwards outweigh the benefits of slats?
Plus you have a shed that's more adaptable...

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/cereal-crops/spring-cereals/fertiliser/

Table on page above shows the P and K take off in a crop of barley straw.
If you assume 3 ton / acre barley, and 9 round bales / acre
That makes the straw have a P of 1.2 and a K of 20.1 per acre or - a P and K of 0.13 and 2.3 per bale...
Plus there is the benefit after this if the organic matter...

But - I say all this with straw being reasonably easily gotten around here...

Thanks for that. I'm in the west so paid 17e a bale of good barley straw last sept from tipp so I guess, especially this year, it was good value it seems to be always in and around that anyhow, as I said before we are buying off the same man for years. It just to clarify my question again I suppose, would you have to cart out the shed during the winter with the bed getting too high? And Is a 3 month winter ok on straw?

Username John

farawaygrass wrote: »

Thanks for that. I'm in the west so paid 17e a bale of good barley straw last sept from tipp so I guess, especially this year, it was good value it seems to be always in and around that anyhow, as I said before we are buying off the same man for years. It just to clarify my question again I suppose, would you have to cart out the shed during the winter with the bed getting too high? And Is a 3 month winter ok on straw?

We would only have had ewes in here for 6 weeks or so...

But I think the answer to both your questions is 'not an issue as long as you have enough straw'

The bed getting too high - that would depend on your facilities really...
And 3 months on straw - I don't see why not, as long as you had enough straw...

rangler1

Username John wrote: »

We would only have had ewes in here for 6 weeks or so...

But I think the answer to both your questions is 'not an issue as long as you have enough straw'

The bed getting too high - that would depend on your facilities really...
And 3 months on straw - I don't see why not, as long as you had enough straw...

I would try to clean the sheds out before lambing......doesn't always happen though

Green farmer

Username John wrote: »

You are not... don't put yourself down Green... you can do it


If I were you, I'd try to get as much straw as I could, and make as much dung as you could. Keep a savage bed under the ewes at all times... it'll help those fields you were debating reseeding no end...

I'm watching the field with bathed breath at the moment, seeing what last weeks lime spreading will unlock.

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

I'm watching the field with bathed breath at the moment, seeing what last weeks lime spreading will unlock.

better stop 'bateing' your breath.....it'll be at least three mths.
I was amused at teagasc using liebigs barrel to demonstrate fertility.
The water only rises as high as the lowest board, ie if there's inadequate potash to grow enough grass putting on lime won't make any difference

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Minimum-Tonne.svg

Teagasc had all the different nutrients, trace elements written on each of the boards and one board was short. the shortest board defined the amount of water held or in our case the amountb of grass grown