Cattle Slats

Our company’s namesake product; Hog Slat is the world leader in the production of high-quality concrete slat flooring for swine barns. We’ve taken our proven manufacturing process and created a solution for beef and dairy cattle producers with our heavy duty concrete cattle slats. Our slats are manufactured using a strong, dry-cast concrete mix process and reinforced with high-tensile steel mats for improved durability and strength.

Cattle Slats

Concrete cattle gang slats are a larger, thicker version of our hog slats, designed for use in dairies and other cattle feeding or livestock barn installations.

Cattle gang slats are 4’ wide and available in 8’, 10’ and 12’ lengths
Cattle slats are 6” deep with 6-1/2” slat tops and 1-1/2” slot openings
All cattle slats feature our standard broom finish
Lintel for cattle slats feature extra steel reinforcement support and stirrups

Item # 1334 (4’ wide x 8’ long)
Item # 1336 (4’ wide x 10’ long)
Item # 1338 (4’ wide x 12’ long)
Item # 1330 (4’ wide x 8’ long solid, no slot openings)
Item # 1332 (4’ wide x 10’ long solid, no slot openings)
Item # 1344 (8” wide x 10” deep x 12’ long cattle lintel)

We Have a Little Different Spin on Slats

It all starts with the concrete! Everyone knows less water in a mix formula will produce a stronger concrete. Our batch computers measure the water content of the sand and rock before adding water to formulate a dry-casting mix that results in a HARDER, DENSER finished slat that will last longer in your buildings.

Spinning ROTOSCREEDS allow us to work our ZERO slump dry-cast concrete mixture, resulting in a stronger, flatter and more uniform slat than wet-cast slats from other manufacturers.

Our dry-cast concrete slat mixture is a ZERO slump formula, compared to a FOUR inch slump mixture that is used by other manufacturers producing wet-cast slats
It is virtually impossible to work concrete this stiff by hand-troweling, so we use spinning ROTOSCREEDS that strike off the mold and produce one of the key features of our slats; a uniform FLAT top which is easier on your cattle’s’ feet and joints
No wet-cast, hand-troweled concrete slats on the market can consistently produce the uniform FLAT top found on Hog Slat concrete cattle slats

Low Cement-Water Ratio Yields Longer Lasting Slats

The water-to-cement ratio refers to the ratio of water weight to cement weight used in a concrete mixture. A lower ratio leads to higher strength and durability but makes the mix difficult to work with and form.

Less water in our dry-cast concrete mixture results in a stronger finished slat that can stand the test of time in confinement pork production environments.

For this reason, most other manufacturers’ slats on the market are produced with a wet-cast concrete mixture with a water-cement ratio of 0.5
Hog Slat manufactures slats from a dry-cast concrete mixture with a water-cement ratio of less than 0.39
A cubic yard of wet cast concrete formulated with 500 pounds of cement contains 250 pounds of water, while a dry cast concrete mixture only contains 195 pounds of water
As the excess water in a wet-cast concrete mixture evaporates during the curing process it creates microscopic pores that ultimately reduce the final strength of the finished slat

Steam Curing Reduces Variation

After casting, each of our concrete slats is STEAM CURED in climate-controlled tents. Steam provides the heat necessary for accelerated curing while the moisture prevents stress cracks and shrinkage. Proper steam curing procedures are strictly followed by monitoring the interior environments of the tents to ensure long-term durability of each slat we produce.

In only a few hours, we are able to harden slats that exceed 28-day strengths of normally cured concrete
Hot, dry weather or cold, wet environmental conditions during manufacturing will not affect the quality of our slats we deliver to your farm
The rate of temperature gain and the maximum temperature in the curing chamber must be controlled and monitored using accepted industry guidelines and practices
Failure to do this can result in a shortened life span of the concrete slats due to delayed ettringite formation (DEF), a condition that leads to early deterioration of the concrete when exposed to environments commonly found at cattle production facilities