By all reports the green Comfort Mats seem to be the best but also the most expensive unfortunately.
Would the rounded Easyfix SDR mats not be the same though as a cheaper price ?
Yes the Mayo Mats seem to have very little space to get the dung down as they only cut out certain amount of slots.
Easyfix has more open slots afaik
I did my shed 8x columns with Easyfix. I have them in about 3 years now.
overall great job. Cattle not any dirtier than they were on concrete. Less injuries. Some nights last year I came home after work to see the entire herd of 80+ lying down at the same time.
I’m sure the differences between the brands isn’t that great. My reason for Easyfix was I thought the green ones to be a bit slippier for man and beast.
Was it the flat Easfix you put in or the newer curved typed mats
The normal ones.
I would agree with this , we have them in since the 90's under dairy cows with no need to replace them.
The owner can give you the benefits around the mat and how the cow use them
Was quoted 1350 + vat today for Easy fix for a 16 ft slat
cN vat be reclaimed
Yes afaik
Wouldn’t think so. Handy to have a few pens done with them all the same.
Vat is 23%
Are they available under TAMS for the young farmer?
I don’t think there’s any grant for slat mats.
If you buy them and fit yourself. AFAIK if they fit them vat is 13.5%
Cost, normally your slat sits on the walls of the tank, to sit them parallel you would have to put in a wall across a tank for the slat to sit on and it would maybe make tank harder to agitate. If you got the slat manufacturer to change the layout of the holes I dont think they would be able to, its something to do with having the steel in the slat, and steel being strong for tension but not strong some other way, someone with more engineering knowledge could explain better.
yeah it’s s123. Scroll down through this and you will find it
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/28f4c-specifications/#structures-specifications
Hi,
Got a quote for Durapak.
For an 18.5 mtr shed, width of slat 3.5mtr.
€4700 + vat
Any comments?
I paid nearly a thousand more for easyfix for the same length but mine were wider by .5m. Your quote seems alright so.
How are the easyfix so far?
I spoke to both at the ploughing, Durapak had some good information, but easyfix were very busy in their tent
I put in easyfix nearly 15 years ago now. I looked mayo, durapak, and a few more as well. I think DP were a thinner many than EF. Mayo were very soft and spread too easy.
Have older ones in 10 years and still in good nick.
Put in the newer type this time but have nothing on them yet.
When I did them orginally I was finishing bulls over the winter on ordinary slats they struggled to get up and down when they were above 650 kgs live weight. Heavier cattle have great comfort getting up and down.
It's impossible to keep cattle on a finishing diet clean as they just get dirty and that is it. Finishing cattle are much more comfortable on them. There was a grant for a year or so when I bought them not sure if I have bought them other wise especially as I got out of bulls since and winter finishing generally.
Generally Cattle Are going to be more comfortable on any matt as it's rubber as opposed to concrete they are lying on. Concrete is a conductor to an extent cold concrete will draw heat from the body.
Personally I taught EF were by far the best mat at the time. I just taught the Mayo matt would spread and you would have to keep trimming it. The comfort would probably keep cattle cleaner I just could did not see them wearing and was a bit doubtful with cattle getting up and down on them.
The DP looked a good matt but I just had a preference for the EF
