Choosing the right slatted floor for your farm can improve hygiene in the pens, and reduce limb problems and mastitis!
Publication Time:
2025-07-18
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Abstract
Which type of slatted floor—cast iron, plastic, cement, or composite—offers the best value for money?
Slatted floors are widely used in livestock farming, primarily for manure management, especially in pig farms. Existing slatted floor materials include plastic, cast iron, cement, and composite materials, each with its own advantages. Considering both practicality and price, which offers the best value? How should farmers choose?
I. Origin and Development of Slatted Floors
Slatted floors originated in European and American pig farms. In the 1950s, with increasing pig farming scale and rising labor costs, manual manure cleaning became time-consuming and labor-intensive. Pig farms sought ways to improve facilities and reduce manual labor, leading to the invention of slatted floors. The earliest slatted floors were made of cement, primarily T-shaped cement slatted floors. Chinese pig farms began using slatted floors in the 1990s, also using cement, initially in gestation stalls for sows. Farrowing houses used cast iron slatted floors. Later, with technological advancements, plastic and composite slatted floors were developed.
II. Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Slatted Floors
Each type of slatted floor has advantages and disadvantages, and their applications vary. For example, high-rise areas like farrowing houses mainly use cast iron, plastic, and composite slatted floors; nursery pens generally use plastic and composite slatted floors; and finishing pigs and gestation stalls primarily use cement slatted floors.
1. Composite Slatted Floors: Composite slatted floors typically use multiple raw materials such as resin, calcium carbonate, and fiberglass, along with various additives and pigments, which are mixed evenly and formed under high pressure. Composite slatted floors combine the advantages of plastic and cast iron; they are lighter than cast iron and have stronger compressive strength than plastic. Unlike plastic, they do not become rough, age, or become slippery over time. They also offer good insulation and heat dissipation, resist most disinfectants, and have a lifespan of over 20 years. However, composite slatted floors are more expensive than typical cast iron and plastic slatted floors.
2. Cast Iron Slatted Floors: Cast iron slatted floors are generally used in farrowing pens and occasionally in nursery pens. The biggest advantage of cast iron slatted floors is their hardness, strong load-bearing capacity, and durability; they typically last 8-10 years. However, the hardness can damage pig nipples and hooves, and they become slippery when wet.
3. Plastic Slatted Floors: Plastic slatted floors use engineering plastics for support. They are lightweight, highly malleable, compatible with various slatted floor combinations, easy to disassemble, and easy to clean. However, they are not durable, have low load-bearing capacity (they can collapse under a person's weight), and become rough and wear down sow nipples after a year or two of use.
4. Cement Slatted Floors: The earliest type of slatted floor, now widely used in finishing and gestation pens in pig farms. They are low in cost, durable, and require low technical expertise; most pig farm equipment stores carry them.
In summary, considering both price and use, composite and cast iron slatted floors are recommended for farrowing pens; plastic slatted floors are recommended for nursery pens; and cement slatted floors are recommended for finishing and gestation pens.
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