A suckler and sheep farmer from Co. Offaly is reminding other farmers to ensure cattle slats in their sheds are structurally sound after a concrete slat gave way on his farm this morning, Tuesday, November 14.
Speaking to Agriland, Tullamore-based farmer Alan McDonald said: “I went out this morning and one of the slats was gone and there was a heifer down in the tank and there were another two heifers and their back legs were down.
“By the time I set the gates up to let them out of the pen, one more heifer had slipped into the tank. I managed to get the other heifer that was half-in the tank up safely.”
Alan had to think fast to rescue the two heifers that were now standing at the bottom of the tank so he called on the help of his neighbour who luckily had a 4t digger.
“He brought the digger over and we lifted two more cattle slats to give us more room.”
Alan explained how he then placed a strap around the first heifer and lifted her out to safety and then did the same with the second heifer.
Thankfully, the heifers escaped the incident unharmed but Alan did say that his ordeal serves as a stark reminder for other farmers to check the structural soundness of the slats in their own sheds.
“One of the reasons I shared the story is to remind farmers what can happen.
“It was pure luck I [saw]them because I generally work off-farm and today was my day off. If it had been any other day, it could have been evening time when they were seen.”
He explained that the shed was built in the late 1980s and he had recently replaced slats which he thought needed replacing and left the ones which he thought were still strong enough.
“I had been meaning to to get down and check the slats but the way the summer went, I never got to do it.”
Alan said that the slats will all be replaced before cattle return to the shed and was thankful that his livestock escaped the ordeal unharmed.