Slat Matts 2022

No, the wedges on slat mats are very tight ( had to drive them with sledge ) and concrete is a small bit above the level of the mat (edit to say concrete put in after so to get good depth ended a small bit above mat ) . At the back of the pens I put the flat mat sections on the 18" of bare concrete and never put the screws supplied with them and dirt sometimes gets in at a joint alright

Does anyone have the newer type Easyfix Mats with the sloped curved surface under suckler cows.

How do they compare to the older flat Easyfix Mats in terms of slippyness and cleanliness of the Cows ?

Ordering some next week but unsure which type to go with.

Tia

Yeah I had the rep out alright to measure up and he said people are putting in both types and it's down to personal preference.

He did say the newer ones would definitely be a bit slippery than the originals but loads of people are using them so I was hoping to get opinions of people that are actually using them.

Presume you don't have cattle on yours yet

No cattle on them yet. It’s finishing bulls that’ll be going in it. The older ones are a safer bet if you are still unsure when buying them.

Wat price are they

For me it's mainly down to animal welfare as its not easy looking on to see suckler cows near calving struggling to stand up due to slippy concrete slats.

Any reviews or experience with the Durapak mats?

If they wanted to make them compulsory we would have seen grants to encourage the install in new shed and also for retrofitting Bigger problem is to get farmers to check the condition of slats. New Tams will be interesting to see it they included. The only way I can see them allowing grant aid on mats is if you install new slats

Their trial was bullocks over 120 days. This winter the finishing period could be halved to 60 days in a lot of places.

You’ll halve it by only feeding them for half the time. They’ll not be properly finished obviously.

I’ve heard of a few lads that are letting bulls off as soon as they’ve any sort of cover on them at all (after 40-50 days).

As for bullocks it’d probably be time to get rid of as soon as they hit 2+ if feeding inside.

Bulls would be ok at 2- I’d say but they’d grade and kill out better with more flesh on them

Did you get a quote after?

Easy fix quoted approx 1300 per Bay for 11'6 and 1 foot toe area

I’d say they are a bit cleaner and there might be more lasting in them. There is plenty of meat in them where as the standard ones that are in 10 years are in good condition but the grips are starting to wear.

Ive half the sheds done at this stage and hope to do another 3/4 pens a year until they are all done. I have in in my head m for some reason that for finishing sheds I’ll keep using the curved ones but maybe for sheds that I’d usually have store cattle in I’d put in the standard ones.