Sheep Shed UPGRADE - Slats or Straw Bedding?

Welcome to Sheep School where everyday is a school day! In this video, we're diving into the world of indoor sheep housing, exploring how sheep can be successfully housed indoors for long periods. Join us as we visit a large sheep farm and interview an expert farmer who shares invaluable insights into the benefits, feeding practices, and lambing management associated with indoor housing.

Highlights from the Video:

Expert Insights: Hear from the farmer about their background in sheep farming and their experience with indoor housing.
Benefits of Indoor Housing: Discover the advantages of housing sheep indoors during the winter months for improved health and well-being.
Feeding Practices: Learn about the feeding regimen implemented for sheep in indoor housing, ensuring their nutritional needs are met.
Environmental Considerations: Explore how proper ventilation and air quality are maintained within the indoor housing facility.
Lambing Management: Gain insights into the strategies for managing lambing in an indoor environment, providing a safe and stress-free experience for ewes and newborn lambs.
Tour of the Facility: Take a guided tour of the indoor housing facility, featuring plastic slats, feeding wagon plus a look at some old straw bedded sheds.
Whether you're a fellow farmer or simply interested in learning about innovative agricultural practices, this video offers valuable knowledge and practical tips for successful indoor sheep farming.

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Thanks for watching, see you next time...

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[sheepschool]

I got the microphones out for this one and it definitely made the sound worse by picking up all the noise of feet on the plastic slats. Everyday really is a school day! Hope you enjoy it other than the sound issues. Thanks for watching.. David.

[julzjohnson]

I had a bit of trouble hearing what you were saying so I put the subtitles on. Big mistake but very funny, seems you're feeding bears in the shed.🤣🤣🤣

[tadhgpheaitwillie]

Great video. Very informative. You can't beat the slats!

[johncullen]

Super video. Seen slats used on a farm in the uk. Super job. More sheep in the shed- easier minded less bedding less labour bedding and cleaning them out plus sheep slurry is rocket fuel for grass

[pash]

Great to see other systems and as always, pros and cons. Great video - thanks.

[DAVIDOGorman-zm]

Great honest chat between two knowledgable and established sheep farmers, no question was side stepped .lovely set up there👌

[stevepalmer]

Hey 👋 id say thats money well spent.
Thanks for the content. Have a nice sunday.

[JohntyNich]

Incredible amount of twins to triplets. Might be interesting for the farmers out there to explore a bit more if it’s breeding/feeding/condition. Expect it’s a combination. Probably best done around tupping time so the grazing can be seen.

[wendyrowland]

I used to house my winter shorn Lleyns for 8 - 10 weeks on barley straw bedding. They were fed haylage and enjoyed the leafy bits from the barley straw. If I had my time over, my new purpose built barn would have been been better off with those plastic slats, but as you say, it is a case of biting the bullet over the cost, especially now that the arable sector do a lot of straw incorporation making the straw a bit scarce at times. The benefit came in resting the pasture allowing for a good bite of grass in the spring. I used to floor feed nuts, to the litters. That ensured the timid sheep getting their share. But that would not be possible on slats. Unless of course rolls could be big enough not to slip through. One year straw was really difficult to get as most of it was going over to your lovely country with a bit of help from your government. The ewes came out with an inch of fleece by the way. During the longer housing was also an opportunity to fluke dose with Closantel and getting a good clear out.

[Ivor-gi]

Nice setup .subtitles apparently your feeding sage to hogs .theres bats in the sheep and to top it off you gave him a cheap school cold at the end 😂😂😂

[knockeragh]

In the process of turning an old cattle slatted shed (4' deep tanks) into a slatted shed for sheep. Will be taking the old single slats out and putting in plastic slats. Cost of the plastic slats are more than concrete gang slats but should be worth it in the long run. Great video - nice to hear someone having a good experience with the plastic slats.

[charlieconway]

We got the same slats as them a couple of months ago.

[TimNagle-ep]

Well done super job have a good sense of humour for a Cavan man

[paddy]

Very interesting video. Keep up the good work

[damienduffy]

Brilliant video thanks, a bit hard to hear the guest but very informative 👍

[sheepdogman]

Great video into the insight of how someone else’s system works. Slats is the answer but 1st i need a shed 😀😀

[ourfarminglife]

Great video David, Frank is some operator 👌

[jimmy.....]

Very interesting video and a great setup. There could be a lot more slatted sheds the way straw prices are .(or later lambing )

[LeeONeill-hqkh]

A man done bench marking in a group we are in he reckons it cost £0.70 a week a ewe to house including shed diet feeder diesel and tractor and was costing £1 a week a ewe to take winter grazing if he got it

[garymadden]

First to comment again great video David I think slats are the way to go but it’s like everything else it comes down to the € 💰👌