[oor wullie]

Our cows are wintering outdoors but they have a field shelter that they have free access to.  This shelter has a soil floor and as it was only built a few weeks ago the soil was quite wet and soft.  As a result it is now fairly deep soft mud with the cows poaching the ground.
I will put a thick layer of straw down but was thinking that the straw would quickly just become part of the mud and that it might be better putting a bit of a base down first.

After looking for what would be the best option (it is not really feasible to concrete the floor just now) I am tending to think that heavy duty mesh (the kind of stuff that is laid on grass for temporary parking areas / put under gates to prevent poaching) might work. 

Has anyone used this or got any better ideas?

[Stereo]

If you can keep the rain out then a couple feet of wood chip might work. Some really deep litter. Mix in some straw, old hay etc. and form a composting mat on top of the soil. Probably find a local tree surgeon who needs a tip site as they often have to pay to tip it.

[cloddopper]

In the early 1950's when i was a kid the old " Crew Yards"  where the  beasts cattle or pigs  were over wintered they  had soil floors with round cobble sized stones pounded in
 They laid  two feet of straw in for the inital stocking , then every week more straw would be added especially in the bedding areas .

 The hay rack was outside the covered area .. this tended help to stop the beeves / cows crapping in the clean dry part ,  come spring the straw 7 muck etc would be up to three feet thick . This was mucked out around March/April  before crop sowing kicked off & left to mature in a massive pile till it was ploughing time in Autumn /winter . Then it was muck spread on the land either by hand off the back off a trailer or via a towed muck spreader.
 
 The meadows also got a light dressing early on in the next year around end of January   or in late December if it was dry enough long before the cattle were  turned in to the field .

[bazzais]

Sand

[bazzais]

Its easy to scrape - easy to spread - drains well - soft - but you will need a digger after season is over.

Although only tried it with sheep - nt with cows

Our outside stuff - we put pea gravel down - works well - cheap as its local.

[oor wullie]

Problem is the ground is already wet and soft therefore sand, gravel or cobbles would simply sink into the soil, that might not be a problem on other parts of the croft but at this part the soil must be at least 50cm deep - I reckon it would take 20 tons of material to form a hard base.  This is a problem as there is no access for a lorry to tip that at the shelter so I would have to shovel and wheelbarrow it all by hand.

I have done that before (shoveld 20tons of gravel into drains) and learned valuable lessons about how my body is not a young as it used to be.

Maybe next year, after it has been roofed for a year and the ground has dried out properly I will put down gravel or cobbles.

[farmvet]

You could try cow comfort mats/ other rubber mats. I've used them on deep mud for horses & they seem to "float". The lightweight ones are best as they're easier to move around if you need to.

[Badger Nadgers]

Old conveyer belt (lots of quaries around here) which some bedding on top, makes mucking out easier too as you don't take subsoil with it.  Heavier than the horse stuff, but doesn't fold into pockets underneath.  Good for doorways (but can be slippy sometimes), for running wheelbarrows up to the top of muck heaps, to prevent poaching in front of less mobile hay cratches, waterproof flaps over padlocks.  Another one of those "like gold dust grab it whenever you can" things.