How to convert a single slatted bay to a solid floor

when dry cattle go out in spring I put geo-textile (garden fabric) on top of slats in 2 pens with bedding on top to act as calving pens. Works well and stays reasonably dry too.

Agree weight of concrete on top of slats doesn't sound great

I don't think you need to cover it if it's only for straw beeding for cattle.

I follow a fella on TikTok who farms organically. He needs over the slats and has no bother stirring.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGd1GQrNQ/

I know a few lads in organics that lifted out the slats and replaced with solid slabs.

I think it’s a bad idea personally.

Extra weight permanent on the slab with the concrete, extra weight with the wet bedding, then all the cattle on it also. The temptation to clean with the tractor.

Note if for organics it’s against the rules to bed directly onto slats (but if the cattle had access outside then it might be ok; but then you will likely be out of compliance to outwintering rules which need a relative large area per unit livestock to which they have access to for out wintering).

Either get rubber matting for that bay and forget the bedding or take out the slats and replace with solid ones.

Another thought, is it still possible to get the grant to replace slats.

If it was it might be another option to replace slats with solid ones

Give the slat rubber mat manufacturers a ring. It might be easy for them to produce a mat without the openings. Worth a shot anyway.

I had the idea to use a layer of marine ply then rubber mats and then a bed of straw on the slats but was told it was a no go for organics not because of the rubber or ply but because it was seen as a safety issue as there would be a possibility of the slats not being able to cope with the extra weight.

I do think the ban on using rubber mats on slats as an alternative to solid floor bedding in Organics is ridiculous, and is stopping a lot of conventional farmers who made investments into standard slatted houses. They were only following what was the guidance at the time.

A neighbour here keeps sheep on slatts, just straw straight on the slatts, no problems, not organic.

just replace with tractor slats and bed on top or else feed passage slats

I used to bed the sheep on cattle slats, the shed is 10 (24 ft by 15ft) bays . I used to clean it out with a micro digger in two days, Threw the dung to the feeding barrier first and then got up on the dung and threw it on to the feeding passage…… simples

If the cattle only use the shed for feeding and can lie outside why would you bother bedding the slats with straw at all, there’s no need to, they can lie on the slats when it’s raining if they want and you’re saving your straw and the hassle of cleaning out the shed.

Why don't the poster build a span for his purpose and leave the slatted shed as is. One new span won't break the bank. You never know when you'd need the slatted shed.

correct