Converting to Slatted Flooring for Improved Sheep Housing

Andrew Adamson was unsure how best to utilise a general purpose shed on his farm. A study trip to Ireland with his FAS Connect sheep group provided the insight and clarity he needed. Inspired by the systems he observed, Andrew decided to convert the shed into slatted accommodation for sheep, improving flock efficiency and welfare while also reducing bedding costs. 

Netherurd Farm by The Numbers 

• 626 acres. 

• Beef, sheep, arable, and woodland enterprises. 

• Finishing 190 cattle annually. 

• Maintain 960 breeding Texel crosses from the Scotch Mule. 

• Forestry and rental accommodation provide additional income. 

• 30 acres of forage, 60 acres of cereal. 

Andrew runs the family farm alongside his wife, Jayne and their two children, Hazel (15) and Jon (11). He is ably supported by Callum, a self-employed worker who has become an essential part of the team. 

The Challenge 

Limited shed space created seasonal pressures on the farm. In spring, cattle had to be sold early to make room for lambing ewes. In Autumn, sheep handling equipment had to be moved outdoors to allow cattle to be housed. 

As a result, cattle were often sold before the reached their optimum weight and specification or outside of the desired marketing window. Likewise, the difficulty of aligning routine sheep handling tasks with available labour and favourable weather was becoming increasingly limited. This often resulted in work being carried out in poor conditions. A new shed was erected in 2020 for winter cattle housing and lambing overspill, but Andrew never felt it was being effectively utilised. 

The Solution 

On a farm visit to Northern Ireland in January 2025 with his FAS Connect Sheep Group, Andrew was inspired by an Irish farmer’s successful conversion of a former cattle shed into slatted accommodation for ewes over the winter. While Andrew had previously considered and disregarded plastic slats and manure tanks due to high costs, this visit demonstrated that there was a simpler and cheaper option available through the use of metal slates with a ‘dry’ manure system. Before the plane had touched down in Glasgow Andrew had a new system planned out, and construction began in February.  

Implementation & Construction 

Andrew designed a simple, low-cost blueprint with an efficient system for managing manure. Pen sizes were designed to accommodate up to 150 ewes and their lambs during handling sessions. 

The shed, measuring 120 by 60 feet, with a solid concrete floor and cattle housing to one side was already in existence. The goal was to install a row of slatted sheep pens on the opposite side, with a feed passage wide enough to allow for easy handling of sheep outside of lambing season. To achieve this, the feed passage and pen area were excavated, and the passage was concreted, including 2 foot retaining walls to support the slats. 

Metal mesh panels were chosen for the slats based on advice from Irish farmers, who found these helped the sheep to stay clean and the mesh was beneficial for maintaining sheep hoof health. Additionally, the mesh came in at a third of the cost compared to plastic slats. The mesh and wooden battens were purchased separately and assembled into panels by a local joiner.  

The pens and panels were designed around standard material sizes to minimise labour and reduce the need for cutting. Each panel measures 16 by 4 feet and can be lifted by two people when they need lifted to muck the shed out, which Andrew anticipates will need done approximately every three years. The floor beneath the slats was left un-concreted to allow urine and dirty water to drain naturally, helping to reduce ammonia odours from waste buildup and extending the gap between mucking out. 

The shed now consists of 4 pens, 32 x 16 feet with water bowls on the back wall and feed barrier to the front with each pen having a 2-foot access gate.  

Final Costs 

Andrew set a construction budget of £25,000 but slightly exceeded it, with final costs reaching £29,000. The overspend was primarily due to the addition of gale breakers, necessary to protect the shed from prevailing winds. The breakdown on costs is noted in the table below. 

 

Item	Cost
Groundworks	£5,000
Concrete	£8,000
Mesh panels	£3,500
Wooden batons	£2,500
Metal work (gates, barriers, columns etc)	£5,800
Other ancillary items (water bowls etc)	£700
Gale breakers	£3,500