Reduce Expenses, Increase Value
Hanson Silo slatted confinement systems are also an excellent way to reduce labor expenses. The Beef Feedlot Systems Manual has estimated the required labor hours per head-space per year for cattle feeding in a traditional lot to be .28 hours. However, a slatted confinement system reduces that time by 50 percent. Much of this savings exists because there is no need for bedding to pack the floor. Slatted floors reduce the investment needed for additional equipment and labor. Also, the yearly cost savings by eliminating bales will be considerable. Couple those savings with eliminating the need to scrape and spread bedding and you can understand how much more effective your operation can be.
Cattle confinement systems using a deep pit design also offer an excellent benefit for improving the quality and value of the manure collected. The value of your manure is highly dependent on factors affecting the condition of that manure. Studies have shown these slat-over-pit systems that maintain manure in a liquid state maintain better consistency and improve nutrient content when used on tillable soil. Studies have shown an increase in valuable nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, potassium oxide, and others. This improved nutrient content significantly increases the value of your organic fertilizer. For example, it was determined that the value of solid manure from open lots was 2.5 times less valuable than manure from a deep pit confinement system in a recent study. The advantage is clear.