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cows on rubber mat

  • 28-07-2014 08:14PM
    #1
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭


    Had a brain wave tonight while milking.
    Seeing as cubicles won't really fit in my big shed how would covering the whole shed floor in a rubber mat. I know of a lad in Wales who kept 60 fat dry cows on his collecting yard last winter when he was tight for space on a rubber mat.
    He washed it down every day and it did the finest.
    Would it work for 60 drys in a 50x75 shed?
    Scrape down everyday and through a load of lime around it.
    What does matting cost?/10e/m2?


«1

Comments

  • #2
    visatorro
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,975 ✭✭✭visatorro


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Had a brain wave tonight while milking.
    Seeing as cubicles won't really fit in my big shed how would covering the whole shed floor in a rubber mat. I know of a lad in Wales who kept 60 fat dry cows on his collecting yard last winter when he was tight for space on a rubber mat.
    He washed it down every day and it did the finest.
    Would it work for 60 drys in a 50x75 shed?
    Scrape down everyday and through a load of lime around it.
    What does matting cost?/10e/m2?

    Just a normal cubicle mat is about two metre Sq. They are about 50/60 euro. Was half thinking of something similar but for calves. Never really seen it anywhere else before


  • #3
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    visatorro wrote: »
    Just a normal cubicle mat is about two metre Sq. They are about 50/60 euro. Was half thinking of something similar but for calves. Never really seen it anywhere else before

    Emailed a lad about it. He doesn't really like the idea says it will cost 9 k. Don't think its a runner


  • #4
    Panch18
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭Panch18


    why won't cubicles fit in the shed?


  • #5
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    Panch18 wrote: »
    why won't cubicles fit in the shed?

    Pillars in middle if shed. Passages will be too tight IMO.
    I don't want to put cubicles in it tbh. I want to build them across from shed and leave that shed loose bedded with 5-6 calving pens along back wall


  • #6
    JohnJoe88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭JohnJoe88


    Rubber mats = waste of money
    IMO

    there are mats out there for €50-70 per space (45inches centre to centre)

    And there are Matress goin in now for €75-95 around here

    Seen a guy with a 60 x50 shed with 60 cow spaces in the 7ft 6" bed and 6ft passage ways. Working great for him now that the Matress is in.
    Previously it was rubber mats and they were never lying down (unless exhausted) and lying on the ****!!
    He put in the Matress and every space is full now! And better condition on the cows!!

    Anyone have Matress in??


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  • #7
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    See we won't be able to afford scrapers if we do put cubicles in that shed which I really don't want to. The new tractor won't fit down passages if we were to put them in now and I don't want to go buying a little 135.
    My idea was to cover whole shed floor in rubber and scrape out everyday. It couldn't be any worse than dry cows on straw?


  • #8
    Timmaay
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,392 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    GG fire up a photo of the inside of the shed!

    The cows would still be free to sit anywhere like in a straw bedded shed? Will you still have issues with cows stepping on teats?


  • #9
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    Timmaay wrote: »
    GG fire up a photo of the inside of the shed!

    The cows would still be free to sit anywhere like in a straw bedded shed? Will you still have issues with cows stepping on teats?

    I will. She's full of dung at the min so doesn't look the prettiest


  • #10
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,304 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    JohnJoe88 wrote: »
    Rubber mats = waste of money
    IMO

    there are mats out there for €50-70 per space (45inches centre to centre)

    And there are Matress goin in now for €75-95 around here

    Seen a guy with a 60 x50 shed with 60 cow spaces in the 7ft 6" bed and 6ft passage ways. Working great for him now that the Matress is in.
    Previously it was rubber mats and they were never lying down (unless exhausted) and lying on the ****!!
    He put in the Matress and every space is full now! And better condition on the cows!!

    Anyone have Matress in??

    Have alfco mats in here and no issues what so ever, probably referring to the cheap chinese rubber mats that are going about pure disaster alright really hard rubber with no bounce basically just concrete


  • #11
    frazzledhome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,278 ✭✭✭frazzledhome


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Had a brain wave tonight while milking.
    Seeing as cubicles won't really fit in my big shed how would covering the whole shed floor in a rubber mat. I know of a lad in Wales who kept 60 fat dry cows on his collecting yard last winter when he was tight for space on a rubber mat.
    He washed it down every day and it did the finest.
    Would it work for 60 drys in a 50x75 shed?
    Scrape down everyday and through a load of lime around it.
    What does matting cost?/10e/m2?

    1. Stick with the straw short term
    2. Invest the money in a lined lagoon. You need to provide storage.
    3. Once done install OC's where you need them
    4. Scrape with tractor for a while and when finance allows put in auto scrapers

    My tuppence


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  • #12
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    frazzledhome wrote: »
    1. Stick with the straw short term
    2. Invest the money in a lined lagoon. You need to provide storage.
    3. Once done install OC's where you need them
    4. Scrape with tractor for a while and when finance allows put in auto scrapers

    My tuppence
    Straw has been short term for last ten yrs :)
    Yr that is my plan ultimately but father not very keen on idea.
    What's the cost per cow of a lagoon?


  • #13
    frazzledhome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,278 ✭✭✭frazzledhome


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Straw has been short term for last ten yrs :)
    Yr that is my plan ultimately but father not very keen on idea.
    What's the cost per cow of a lagoon?

    I'll PM you, this ain't no place for that info


  • #14
    td5man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,082 ✭✭✭td5man


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Straw has been short term for last ten yrs :)
    Yr that is my plan ultimately but father not very keen on idea.
    What's the cost per cow of a lagoon?

    Cost of the lagoon was roughly the same as a slatted tank minus the slats when freeboard/rainfall is taken into account.


  • #15
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    td5man wrote: »
    Cost of the lagoon was roughly the same as a slatted tank minus the slats when freeboard/rainfall is taken into account.

    Ye I've a big bank of clay at side of yard that I will have to move for silage so I can use that to build up yard and make lagoon instead of drawing down the field


  • #16
    visatorro
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,975 ✭✭✭visatorro


    frazzledhome wrote: »
    I'll PM you, this ain't no place for that info


    ah dont be like that!!


  • #17
    JohnJoe88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭JohnJoe88


    U cud just go for a Floor wash system but I wouldn't waste money on rubber mats!!!

    Straw bed and lime be fine for the moment, save the money and Cubicles with Matress is the way forward!!


  • #18
    frazzledhome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,278 ✭✭✭frazzledhome


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Straw has been short term for last ten yrs :)
    Yr that is my plan ultimately but father not very keen on idea.
    What's the cost per cow of a lagoon?

    It may be but yeve bought a farm, educated a family, built up a herd of cows with good fert and Scc, straw for a few more years won't kill ya.


  • #19
    mf240
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,901 ✭✭✭mf240


    My tuppence worth.

    Build a slatted tank outside existing shed to feed on and continue to bed them in it.

    Will do grand for now.


  • #20
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,853 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    See we won't be able to afford scrapers if we do put cubicles in that shed which I really don't want to. The new tractor won't fit down passages if we were to put them in now and I don't want to go buying a little 135.
    My idea was to cover whole shed floor in rubber and scrape out everyday. It couldn't be any worse than dry cows on straw?

    The 2500 a year u say ur saving by wrapping all ur silage would go a long way towards ur scrapers.............u need slurry storage ,work on that first ,then cubicles.cant see how laying the whole shed in. Mats would work,it'd leave the ace slippy and ultimately only a stop gap.


  • #21
    Timmaay
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,392 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    mf240 wrote: »
    My tuppence worth.

    Build a slatted tank outside existing shed to feed on and continue to bed them in it.

    Will do grand for now.

    Agreed, likes of a 16ft wide tank, 10ft deep and maybe 3bays wide if ya can fit it. Go longer if ya can afford it now, but that would store a hell of alot of runoff. I'm looking at something similar, my only issue is it would be bang in front of a silage pit (one of the old curved roofed pits with lean to off each end. Could I go the full width across and put blank tractor slats where the silage comes over?


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  • #22
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    Going to ring a crowd today about a lagoon. Think I might hold off till I hear more about grants. 60% is a lot of money on a 30 k lagoon


  • #23
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    The 2500 a year u say ur saving by wrapping all ur silage would go a long way towards ur scrapers.........
    Don't be bringing that argument here I only made this thread to see what lads thought as soon as I heard the price if the mats I knew I wouldn't do it.
    When your young ones go to college come back and tell my father how much it costs.


  • #24
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,304 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Going to ring a crowd today about a lagoon. Think I might hold off till I hear more about grants. 60% is a lot of money on a 30 k lagoon

    If the waiting times for the current grant scheme are anything to go by, you wouldnt want to be in a hurry/depending on this scheme in the next two years to put up sheds/parlours...everybody including the dog is going to be firing in applications for this new scheme when it opens it


  • #25
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    If the waiting times for the current grant scheme are anything to go by, you wouldnt want to be in a hurry/depending on this scheme in the next two years to put up sheds/parlours...everybody including the dog is going to be firing in applications for this new scheme when it opens it

    True planning in Wexford is a night made too.5k is the bare minimum


  • #26
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,304 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    True planning in Wexford is a night made too.5k is the bare minimum

    Thats another good point, re planning they'll give it to you in one hand and take it of the other haha


  • #27
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    Thats another good point, re planning they'll give it to you in one hand and take it of the other haha

    I don't know if I would even get away without planning. Evejmn though neighbour put up a massive shed to cover the yard and had no planning


  • #28
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,853 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Don't be bringing that argument here I only made this thread to see what lads thought as soon as I heard the price if the mats I knew I wouldn't do it.
    When your young ones go to college come back and tell my father how much it costs.

    Christ I give up ,just making the point which U obviously don't want to accept.if u don't want an honest answer don't ask the question on a public forum.ur the one who said ur saving 2500 a year.whatvthe hell has my daughter goingvto college got to do with it???youd swear nobody else had mortgages /loans to pay.put your self in my shoes 3500 per cow plus borrowed and paying parents in lieu of getting farm,you'd **** itself and I still have money to invest in farm to make it more efficient.invest while ur young and get payement out ofcthe way before you hit early to mid 50s is my motto.tajes a bit of bAlls.
    On your lagoon forget about your shiny brouchers you may not even be allowed put obe in .go to your local planning office first.if you lived around here there a no no.you will if you get planning have to sink a lot of money on plans and engineers etc etc.


  • #29
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,853 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    I don't know if I would even get away without planning. Evejmn though neighbour put up a massive shed to cover the yard and had no planning

    All very well till cross compliance or nitrates inspection .


  • #30
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 31,060 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    All very well till cross compliance or nitrates inspection .
    i asked gg before-not having a go at you- the county council call here regularly unannounced if you dont have enough storage how do you get away with it? Was all that not to be sorted out when the fwms was out? Seems to be one rule for one county and one rule for another:confused:


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  • #31
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,853 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    whelan2 wrote: »
    i asked gg before-not having a go at you- the county council call here regularly unannounced if you dont have enough storage how do you get away with it? Was all that not to be sorted out when the fwms was out? Seems to be one rule for one county and one rule for another:confused:

    No panic whelan I'm guessing our co co and dept inspectors are cut from sane cloth,both are ruthless and mercyless,others in different parts seem to get a much easier ride.2 years ago I had co co Nd dept here on same day


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