easyfix v comfort slat mat

gerico

Hi Guys.

I know this has being asked before about slat mats but I'v followed all the old threads but cant decide. I have a 3 bay slatted shed for suckler cows and followers that I am considering fitting with slat mats as I had a lot of trouble with cows feet last year along with them slipping all over the place.


Firstly Are they worth investing in for 4 months occupation,

Secondly Easyfix or comfort mats as these seem to get the best reviews. The confort mats are about 30% more expensive but maybe a better product in the long run as they clip over the slat edges singly rather than wedging into the gaps.

As this is a costly decision any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks Gerico

loveta

have all cubicles here so wont be able to tell you but a guy beside me here fattens about over 200 cattle a winter and has all the pens done with mats and he had not a good word to say about the easyfix ones says the get very slippy and cattle would break there necks on them so watch out for that

passie

I have Easy fix for 6 or 7 years now. No bother with them great job.

Muckit

Are slat mats worth the investment? I can totally see how they would be of benefit if feeding bulls or heifers ad lib, but for the ordinary joe giving a shake of meal on silage, will cattle thrive noticeably better over the winter on rubber vs bare slat?

loveta

Muckit wrote: »

Are slat mats worth the investment? I can totally see how they would be of benefit if feeding bulls or heifers ad lib, but for the ordinary joe giving a shake of meal on silage, will cattle thrive noticeably better over the winter on rubber vs bare slat?

kneel on concrete for 15 minutes and then ask yourself would you like to be on it for 4 or 5 months of the year :eek::eek:

Muckit

loveta wrote: »

kneel on concrete for 15 minutes and then ask yourself would you like to be on it for 4 or 5 months of the year :eek::eek:

See that's the kind of marketing spelt that drives me wacky. I had one lad tell me take off my socks and shoes and try..... but the thing is I will not be standing on it for the winter. You don't see cattle wearing clothes winter or summer, but you won't catch me running around in the nip to see what it's like.

49801

Muckit wrote: »

Are slat mats worth the investment? I can totally see how they would be of benefit if feeding bulls or heifers ad lib, but for the ordinary joe giving a shake of meal on silage, will cattle thrive noticeably better over the winter on rubber vs bare slat?

Your spot on there

Suck cows=no
Weanlings=no
Feeding cattle=yes

loveta

Muckit wrote: »

See that's the kind of marketing spelt that drives me wacky. I had one lad tell me take off my socks and shoes and try..... but the thing is I will not be standing on it for the winter. You don't see cattle wearing clothes winter or summer, but you won't catch me running around in the nip to see what it's like.[/QUOTE

Dont sell them

Dont have them

Dont intend getting them "All cubicles...with mats" here

But ya can not honestly say cattle are comfortable lying on bare concrete for months on end give the animal the choice and see how many prefer the bare slat to the matted one!!:)

ceannfort

Give cows the choice and they'll not be long telling you which they prefer, concrete or mats. Mats are well worth it but from experience I would avoid easy fix. Very slippy in a short time.

Zr105

If we ever manage to do the shed it will prob be the comfort mat, having stood on both at various shows while talking to people or just taking a break i always feel that the comfort mats are just that bit nicer, plus i like the fact they grip each individual slat aswell.

Having stood around on concrete in the workshop lately a lot i cant help but think how sore it must be for the cattle really when comin in off clay, i can certainly feel the difference in the knees after wearing wellies instead of the work boots for the day so would hate to try bare feet on conference all day, never mind while being pushed to put on weight...

bob charles

I couldnt afford them and im using the slats everyday of the year. If standing on hard surface was so bad how come the animals up on the burren for the winter dont all come down lame. I was given a price recently and for what I was to spend I would build a nice extra straw bed shed for the lame ones that im told concrete causes

onyerbikepat

Would it be worth doing just one bay, say for older cows or young weanlings you just bought? Kind of a sick bay, if you like.

Brown Podzol

Be carefull the mats you get. I put in Mayo slat mats about 12 years ago and i now use them to weigh down plastic on the silage pit. waste of money. They kept spreading and covering the slat, I would have to trim them every couple of weeks. Also the clamps to keep them secured were not fit for purpose and were constantly shifting. I would go with the harder mat, secured into every slat. just my experience.

reilig

We have some of our slats done with easyfix. The older easy fix are worn and slippy. the newer easyfix (5 or 6 years ago) are perfect and show no signs of wear. Find them great for sucklers. They have reduced hoof problems by a huge amount. Cattle stay very clean on them. Wouldn't be without them at this stage.

vanderbadger

have both types, go with easifix, im not overly impressed with the comfort slat mats

bob charles

any chance of a ball park figure per sq mtr for the easyfix ones. none of the reps had any interest in talking to me at the ploughing. must be the smell

reilig

bob charles wrote: »

any chance of a ball park figure per sq mtr for the easyfix ones. none of the reps had any interest in talking to me at the ploughing. must be the smell

I can't offer you an up to date figure as no recent purchase. But when i did buy them, they cost approx €750 before VAT per slatted bay (16ft x 14ft) and I installed them myself.

ceannfort

bob charles wrote: »

any chance of a ball park figure per sq mtr for the easyfix ones. none of the reps had any interest in talking to me at the ploughing. must be the smell

I sell the original kraiburg slat mat. €59 euro per m2 supplied fitted and German backed guarantee for product and workmanship.

Marooned75

Easi fix here not a bother have m 3 years now

grizzlyadams

Easi Fix here too since new shed in 2008 , put them on 20yr old slats last year and am planning to do another tank with then shortly , not a budge out of them and cattle comfy & clean :-)

Figerty

bob charles wrote: »

I couldnt afford them and im using the slats everyday of the year. If standing on hard surface was so bad how come the animals up on the burren for the winter dont all come down lame. I was given a price recently and for what I was to spend I would build a nice extra straw bed shed for the lame ones that im told concrete causes

Sheep and cattle in the burren can still find an soft place to stand. It's not all rock.

I have two pens with rubber on them. I noticed the first year that after a long winter cows were getting tender, expecailly late in pregnancy. I had to rotate a few of them out to let them recover.
If any silage or straw was pulled in they Cows would stand on that rather than concrete.
The two big freeze winters brought it come. Cow lying on Concrete at -10 or -20C isn't good for them. At lease the rubber was an insulator.

One down side is the hooves tend to grow and the toes cross over meaning they have to be trimmed.

oldjeep

Put easyfix on 6 pens last year, found them very good for the older cows, my slats had got slippy (like glass) and this solved that problem. My advice is visit a few farms and generally farmers will give you an honest opinion. Cost about 5k but got vat back, glad I done it now.