Slippy Cattle Crush Floor

FeelTheBern · 27-11-2020 12:04am #1

Hi All. Have a crush in a shed. The wall of the shed forms one side of the crush. The other side is sections (which can open) between pillars. Cattle starting to slip in it - particularly near the top where most used. It’s a combination of not putting deep enough grooves in the concrete day 1 and them wearing away since. Very smooth now in places.

Wondering what would be the best and simplest way to fix this?

Was thinking of either getting someone in to get it grooved or get some kind of matting fitted. With the grooving don’t know if they would be able to groove close up to the concrete wall at right angle to it - not much good if couldn’t as wouldn’t be any grooves the right direction all along there then.

On the matting option, presume would need to bolt to concrete to stop the mats slipping. Is there a type of mat that would give this level of grip as think ones on slats comfortable but quite slippy? Thanks

Westernrock · 27-11-2020 1:01am

FeelTheBern wrote: »

Hi All. Have a crush in a shed. The wall of the shed forms one side of the crush. The other side is sections (which can open) between pillars. Cattle starting to slip in it - particularly near the top where most used. It’s a combination of not putting deep enough grooves in the concrete day 1 and them wearing away since. Very smooth now in places.

Wondering what would be the best and simplest way to fix this?

Was thinking of either getting someone in to get it grooved or get some kind of matting fitted. With the grooving don’t know if they would be able to groove close up to the concrete wall at right angle to it - not much good if couldn’t as wouldn’t be any grooves the right direction all along there then.

On the matting option, presume would need to bolt to concrete to stop the mats slipping. Is there a type of mat that would give this level of grip as think ones on slats comfortable but quite slippy? Thanks

Have you tried power washing it back to the concrete? Most crushes don’t have any grooving in them just the concrete but they can get very slippy as the dung gets caked onto it and tramped in. Some lads use wood chip in the area in and around the crush, seems to offer decent grip once it’s had a while to settle. Another option might be to put down a few inches of fresh concrete and grove it by hand yourself before it sets, might be as cheap as getting someone in to do it?

lab man · 27-11-2020 1:17am

Had the same problem here I just put bedding into it and left it a crust came on it and has stuck to the floor too

FeelTheBern · 27-11-2020 8:25am

Westernrock wrote: »

Have you tried power washing it back to the concrete? Most crushes don’t have any grooving in them just the concrete but they can get very slippy as the dung gets caked onto it and tramped in. Some lads use wood chip in the area in and around the crush, seems to offer decent grip once it’s had a while to settle. Another option might be to put down a few inches of fresh concrete and grove it by hand yourself before it sets, might be as cheap as getting someone in to do it?

It’s clean concrete there at the moment. It’s ok when dry but when they start dunging in crush as they go through gets slippy. It’s in a lie back which has a slight fall in it so think that may be part of the problem too. Putting on concrete might be an idea - would it need to be a good depth to stop it flaking off or would a skim along it do?

FeelTheBern · 27-11-2020 8:28am

lab man wrote: »

Had the same problem here I just put bedding into it and left it a crust came on it and has stuck to the floor too

That makes sense. Only drawback would be that it’s part of a lie back for calves and we try to keep it clean to stop bugs etc. Would be nice to have permanent solution if not too much hassle!

Westernrock · 27-11-2020 8:37am

FeelTheBern wrote: »

It’s clean concrete there at the moment. It’s ok when dry but when they start dunging in crush as they go through gets slippy. It’s in a lie back which has a slight fall in it so think that may be part of the problem too. Putting on concrete might be an idea - would it need to be a good depth to stop it flaking off or would a skim along it do?

I’d try wood chip if you can get dry wood chip easily, put 2-3 inches over the whole area and leave it there, let it dry between use it should only need replaced every 3/4 years. When they come out and dung it will get mixed in and it takes a long time before it gets wet and slippy.
If you were going to concrete it I’d think you’d want 3 inches maybe

FeelTheBern · 27-11-2020 3:05pm

Westernrock wrote: »

I’d try wood chip if you can get dry wood chip easily, put 2-3 inches over the whole area and leave it there, let it dry between use it should only need replaced every 3/4 years. When they come out and dung it will get mixed in and it takes a long time before it gets wet and slippy.
If you were going to concrete it I’d think you’d want 3 inches maybe

Thanks - will try something anyway to try to fix it up!

Gillespy · 27-11-2020 9:37pm

Few shovels of sand would add a lot of grip. There are machine you can hire out that will rough up the concrete surface. No experience of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeJEt9LWkHA&ab_channel=csunitec

jimini0 · 27-11-2020 10:29pm

Can you get your hands on a wall chaser? A couple of runs in both directions and a hammer and chisel to break out the piece in the middle.

Melodeon · 28-11-2020 11:31am

Try your local tool hire place for a scabbler.
They come in a variety of sizes and will do a dandy job of roughening the concrete surface:
https://www.hirehere.ie/index.php?route=product/search&search=scabbler

A hand held one in particular will let you get to everywhere in and around the crush race, even under the rails and right in tight to the wall.

Donegalforever · 28-11-2020 3:37pm

FeelTheBern wrote: »

Hi All. Have a crush in a shed. The wall of the shed forms one side of the crush. The other side is sections (which can open) between pillars. Cattle starting to slip in it - particularly near the top where most used. It’s a combination of not putting deep enough grooves in the concrete day 1 and them wearing away since. Very smooth now in places.

Wondering what would be the best and simplest way to fix this?

Was thinking of either getting someone in to get it grooved or get some kind of matting fitted. With the grooving don’t know if they would be able to groove close up to the concrete wall at right angle to it - not much good if couldn’t as wouldn’t be any grooves the right direction all along there then.

On the matting option, presume would need to bolt to concrete to stop the mats slipping. Is there a type of mat that would give this level of grip as think ones on slats comfortable but quite slippy? Thanks

It would not be very hard to grove it yourself with an angle grinder with disc suitable for concrete instead of employing someone else to do this for you.

minerleague · 28-11-2020 5:39pm

FeelTheBern wrote: »

Hi All. Have a crush in a shed. The wall of the shed forms one side of the crush. The other side is sections (which can open) between pillars. Cattle starting to slip in it - particularly near the top where most used. It’s a combination of not putting deep enough grooves in the concrete day 1 and them wearing away since. Very smooth now in places.

Wondering what would be the best and simplest way to fix this?

Was thinking of either getting someone in to get it grooved or get some kind of matting fitted. With the grooving don’t know if they would be able to groove close up to the concrete wall at right angle to it - not much good if couldn’t as wouldn’t be any grooves the right direction all along there then.

On the matting option, presume would need to bolt to concrete to stop the mats slipping. Is there a type of mat that would give this level of grip as think ones on slats comfortable but quite slippy? Thanks

Not sure if its any use but saw an american youtube channel Sonne Farms that
had same problem, they bought a mat that someone made by riveting threaded ( cut off flat from sidewalls) part of car tyres in a criss- cross pattern.
Could you do something similiar with cow mats cut into strips??

charlesanto · 29-11-2020 9:11pm

Melodeon wrote: »

Try your local tool hire place for a scabbler.
They come in a variety of sizes and will do a dandy job of roughening the concrete surface:
https://www.hirehere.ie/index.php?route=product/search&search=scabbler

A hand held one in particular will let you get to everywhere in and around the crush race, even under the rails and right in tight to the wall.

Looks like the job ....

Wildly Boaring · 29-11-2020 9:23pm

charlesanto wrote: »

Looks like the job ....

Hard to get hold of
A "pram scabbler" is similar, almost identical, rented them a couple times. Had to ring around a bit to find them. Not that cheap to hire.

A pole scabbler. Be lot more common. Cheaper and lot slower.

Not sure if scabbling be the answer really. It would be rough but only very shallow indentations. Likely fill straight away with muck.

I'd second the earlier suggestions of lots of lines with concrete blade on angle grinder of attacking it with a small kango, even a drill and boring a pile of holes.

Once it's rough I'd me firing wood chips or something similar down.

Are there any hard wearing rubber mats, like the ones for cubicles that you could bolt down?

FeelTheBern · 29-11-2020 10:07pm

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Hard to get hold of
A "pram scabbler" is similar, almost identical, rented them a couple times. Had to ring around a bit to find them. Not that cheap to hire.

A pole scabbler. Be lot more common. Cheaper and lot slower.

Not sure if scabbling be the answer really. It would be rough but only very shallow indentations. Likely fill straight away with muck.

I'd second the earlier suggestions of lots of lines with concrete blade on angle grinder of attacking it with a small kango, even a drill and boring a pile of holes.

Once it's rough I'd me firing wood chips or something similar down.

Are there any hard wearing rubber mats, like the ones for cubicles that you could bolt down?

Thanks to everyone for advice.

Thinking about the suggestions. For the woodchip, can see how this would work but think where the crush is, would need to do the full lie back ( or most of it) as otherwise they’d just fire the chip out of the crush.

The scabbler might be a good option - can see how the muck might build up to smooth up the roughened surface but we generally wash out the crush after using it as try to keep it clean cos in lie back.

Also the angle grinder idea sounds good and simple. Presume could make a grid pattern - would you go about an inch or so into the concrete?

greysides · 30-11-2020 10:51pm

Saw this floor in a parlour and the crush beside it. Very effective.

Jb1989 · 30-11-2020 11:11pm

For freshly poured concrete a man on twitter went around with a beer bottle keg to make the indentations for grip.

Limestone Cowboy · 01-12-2020 12:24am

greysides wrote: »

Saw this floor in a parlour and the crush beside it. Very effective.

We got one of those small diamond print rollers that go onto the bull float handles a few months aswell. Leaves a really nice grippy finish without being too hard to clean.

Nekarsulm · 20-12-2020 1:01am

Some surviving areas of concrete in our place, probably from the 50's or60's, seem to have been marked with the mouth of a 2lbs jam jar, or something similar.

Slippy Cattle Crush Floor

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