Cemented In Concrete, Rubber Cow Must Stay Put

Cemented In Concrete, Rubber Cow Must Stay Put DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 3-4-21 Rubber mats have replaced straw bedding in many dairy barns, especially with liquid manure systems. But most dairymen still have a problem keeping the rubber mats in place. Chris and Dennis Wolff, Pennsylvania dairy farmers, solved the problem by "cementing" the mats into the concrete when the barn floor was laid. "You can't just push the mat down into the wet concrete," explains Chris Wolff. "It's too hard to get it level, and it won't stay in place very long. You have to build up the concrete around the mat to the same level," he told FARM SHOW. The area behind the mat is sloped toward the gutter so it will drain. The Wolffs tried leaving the back edge of the mat loose for drainage, but that didn't work. They use a slightly smaller size mat that leaves about 2 in. around the outside for the concrete ridge. They also built a curb 4 in. high between every other stall to keep cows from lying crosswise. Between each two cows the floor is flat for handling the milking machines. Some of the mats installed by the Wolffs' method have been in place for eight years and never torn loose. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris Wolff, Route 2; Millville, Pa. 17846 (ph. 717 458-6636).

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