Suckler cows on cubicles

Bull84

I put in cubicles for cows and they won’t lay on them bar 1. They’ll stand up on them for meal but won’t lay on them. I close them in at night but they just lay on the passage. Tried letting dung build up but they still lay in the dung. Any help or advise please

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058432806/suckler-cows-on-cubicles

Tough if they are not trained to them as young cattle.

Are the bars adjustable? If so are you sure they are wide enough? Big sucker cows need space. Have you mats on the cubicles?

whelan2

Are the spaces s big enough for them to lie

148multi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058432806/suckler-cows-on-cubicles

If the cubicles are big enough bed with straw to start, have seen lads laying gates flat in the passage, but waht animal could resist a starw bed

Bull84

the bed is 8ft 4 inches long and cubicles are 44 inch centres

Bull84

the one cow that lays in them is probably the widest of the cows

Bull84

I have inch thick mayo Matt’s in them

Bull84

tried this and they pulled the straw down into the passage and lay on it

ABitofsense

I had cubicles from in the shed and when we moved to sucklers and i took over, only 1 or 2 would lie in them as well. They would lie in the sh*te in the passage way. I ended pulling the whole lot out and now they all lie on the cubicle area. Pain cleaning it down every few days but cows are alot more happier. My plan is to put mats on it at some point

148multi

What's the weight range of your cows

Bull84

700-800kg

148multi

I'd think for the size cow you could do with another 3" to 4", think of the width when a cow that big is lying down

Which type of cubicle have you in

blue5000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124244000#Comment_124244000

What cubicles have you, comfort cubicles or old 3 leg ones? Those cows are big. Have you head rails?

Bull84

teemore wall mounted. I’ll spread them out and see how they go

Bull84

I have a head rail there wall mounted cubicles

Aravo

Try putting some saw dust on the cubicles have them nice and clean might entice them. If one starts using it, the others will follow

148multi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124244119#Comment_124244119

They should give more space than older types, a man near here put cavity blocks in the passage to train his cows, as above sawdust should help.

Aravo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124244031#Comment_124244031

Cubicles here are 4 no. per bay so that's 47" centre to centre. Have rubber mats and put the dry ashes from the fire on them as its free and bone dry fine powder. I would notice every evening after the ashes are put on, all cubicles are used.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124244443#Comment_124244443

his there is a use for the ashes I never thought off

148multi

Wood ash will turn caustic when wet

red_diesel

I would imagine Heifers would lie in them but not the older cows who weren't introduced young. I have 20 cubicles from the time we had cows. I now keep store cattle in the shed now and every year the majority, if not all, lie in the cubicles after a few weeks.

anthony500_1

I've heard of men putting a heap of old tyres down the chanel to get the cows up on the cubicles. Not done it myself so can't confirm.

It's a balls after spending all the money and then they won't use them. Very annoying

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124243418#Comment_124243418

OH did the same. Was cubicles in the shed when she bought the farm. On of them broke so I cut it away. There would be a fight to get into that part of the shed. Often had 3 cows in the space meant for 2. I took out more of them as they broke and now most of them are gone. Like you they would lie in the passageway together before in the single cubicles. It is a bit more work but they are much more content now.

Barron lad

I seen a man online somewhere put lorry tyres in the passage so they couldn't lie down and force them up on the cubicles, Maybe something like that would work. I have no experience with cubicles at all as i said i just saw that online.

blue5000

Then the cnutz would just lie on the tyres. I think OPs cubicles are too small for the size of cows.

50HX

Neighbour here puts tyres on the passage to train heifers onto cubicles.

The passage is covered in them like a mat, the only place to put their legs is inside the tyre iykwim.

Works every year

Sugarbowl

how do you clean out the passage if it’s full of tyres? Have the same problem here. 2 cows won’t lie up and they are not that big themselves. Think I made the same problem trying to reduce the space to fit in more cubicles when changing them. The mushrooms ones in the concrete so no hope of shifting them now.

50HX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124247258#Comment_124247258

He has them all roped together once they are in situ, pull of the loader then pulls them out

Clean out passage & in with other tyres, the first one are left outside to clean in the rain before volume washer hoses them down

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124247258#Comment_124247258

How many cubicles have you per standard bay, 4 i presume???

Bull84

thanks for the advice and help. I spread out the cubicles to 4ft and filled the passage with old timber off cuts and got 1 more cow up on them mind the two that lay on them are the 2 oldest cows

148multi

Have had cubicles here since dad's time, some cows always found them awkward to rise and lie in. All out now, cows very happy. Am debating in my head wether to put cubicles back in or not.