BEEF & DAIRY LIVESTOCK HOUSING SOLUTIONS · Rubber System. Launched in 1996, EASYFIX Slat Rubber is still our No.1 selling product and is sold to beef, dairy and veal farmers in 40

BEEF & DAIRY LIVESTOCK HOUSING SOLUTIONS

V4.18

NEW BEEF & DAIRY HOUSING INNOVATIONS

We have developed an extensive portfolio of livestock housing solutions over the last 20

years. We remain committed to developing the best performing and highest quality products,

which increases productivity and guarantees a fast return on investment.

In 2018, we launched our new range of EASYFIX Cubicles including the Calm, Siesta, Dream

and Life. The new cubicle range is designed for use in conjunction with cow mats and

mattresses, deep litter beds and sand type systems. Over 250,000 EASYFIX cubicles have

already been sold in 40 countries and it remains the ‘Safest and most comfortable cow

cubicle in the world’.

EASYFIX Evolve is a pioneering advance in animal feed systems that optimises animal welfare

and performance. Launched in 2018, the Evolve is a feed barrier system designed to extend

the animal’s reach and allow for increased feed intake. The unique design also provides safe

access and egress for farm workers.

In 2017, we launched the new EASYFIX SR Slat Rubber system with a reinforced design, high

grip profile and 8-year warranty. We also launched the new EASYFIX SDR Slat Rubber system

with a smooth and sloped surface for increased animal comfort and to facilitate faster run off.

Our solution-led systems for the beef industry include the award-winning EASYFIX Slat

Rubber System. Launched in 1996, EASYFIX Slat Rubber is still our No.1 selling product

and is sold to beef, dairy and veal farmers in 40 countries around the world. We have also

developed rubber matting solutions for lie back areas, toe spaces and walkways, calf comfort

slats, a modular plastic trough for feed areas and a new flexible feed barrier system.

Our dairy housing solutions have been developed to increase cow comfort, reduce lameness,

increase mobility and heat detection. The EASYFIX dairy housing range includes EASYFIX

Cubicles and cow mattresses, dairy slat rubber systems, rubber matting solutions for milking

parlours, walkways and feedlanes, calf comfort slats, a modular trough for feed areas and the

new Evolve flexible feed barrier system.

We now provide a FREE design service for made to measure dairy cubicle housing systems.

Our experienced team will arrange an on-farm visit to discuss your plans and provide you

with a technical design and advisory service.

Our goal is to become the No.1 provider of livestock housing solutions across the globe.

Best Regards,

Michael Earls

Managing Director

DAIRYSECTION 21 DAIRYHOUSING

EASYFIX Cubicles 32

EASYFIX Dream 33

EASYFIX Siesta 33

EASYFIX Calm 34

EASYFIX Life 34

EASYFIX Scratchers 36

EASYFIX Brisket Board 36

EASYFIX Brisket Board: Black 37

EASYFIX Calf Slats 37

EASYFIX SDR Slat Rubber 38

2COWMATTRESSES

EASYFIX Jupiter S 40

EASYFIX Jupiter F 41

EASYFIX Phoenix 42

EASYFIX Neptune 43

EASYFIX Libra 46

EASYFIX Libra i 46

EASYFIX Saturn 48

EASYFIX Mercury 48

EASYFIX Pluto 49

EASYFIX Spirit 49

3WALKWAYS


EASYFIX SR Slat Rubber 51

EASYFIX MG Motion 52

EASYFIX MG Max 4 52

EASYFIX MG Max 8 53

EASYFIX MG Evo 53

EASYFIX MG Traffic 54

EASYFIX MG Action 54

4FEEDAREAS

EASYFIX EasyFeeder 55

EASYFIX Evolve 56



5MILKINGPARLOURS

EASYFIX MG Evo 58

EASYFIX MG Motion 58

EASYFIX MG Max 4 59

EASYFIX MG Max 8 59

6PARLOURPITS

EASYFIX SoftFloor 60

7HOUSINGDESIGN

Dairy Housing Design Service 62

Guidelines for

Dairy Housing Design 63

Reducing Lameness in

Dairy Housing 66

Improving Cow Comfort

in the Milking Parlour 67

Case Studies 68

BEEFSECTION 1

1 SLATTEDBUILDINGS

EASYFIX SR Slat Rubber 8


Lie Back Areas 13

TOESPACES



2CALFCOMFORT

EASYFIX Calf Slats 15

3WALKWAYS

EASYFIX MG Max 4 16

EASYFIX MG Max 8 16

EASYFIX MG Evo 17

EASYFIX MG Chevron 8 17

4FEEDAREAS

EASYFIX EasyFeeder 18

EASYFIX Evolve 19

5LAIRAGEAREAS

EASYFIX MG Max 8 20

EASYFIX MG Chevron 8 20

6BUILDINGDESIGN

Slatted Housing in Ireland 22

Slat Rubber Research Trial: Kildaton 23

Case Study: Lisbeg Farms 26

LIVESTOCK HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR WORLDWIDE MARKETS

Australia

Belgium

Botswana

Bulgaria

Canada

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Egypt

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Korea

Netherlands

New Zealand

Northern Ireland

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Sweden

Switzerland

UAE

United Kingdom

United States

Vietnam

Zimbabwe

EASYFIX Around The World

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LIVESTOCK HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR WORLDWIDE MARKETS

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SECTION 1BEEF

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Newreinforceddesign.

• Highgripprofile.

• Reduceslameness.

• Increasesproductivity-Averagedailyweightgainsforcattle.

• Betterfeedconversion.

• Suitableforusewithscrapers.

• Newreinforceddesign.

• Highgripprofile.

• DLGSignumTestapproved.

• Patentedtwostriprubbersystem.

• Suitablefornewandusedconcreteslats.

• Allsizesofslatscateredfor.

• Slopedprofileforquickurinerun-offtoincreasedrainageaswellasreduceemissions.

• Self-wedgesolution(noadditionalfixationmaterialrequired).

• Nomechanicalcuttingoftheslat.

WARRANTY

8years

*Note: All dimensions provided are subject to rubber manufacturing tolerances.

EASYFIX SR SLAT RUBBERAn award-winning, innovative solution for the agricultural industry.Theaward-winningEASYFIXSlatRubberSystemwasdesignedtoimproveanimalcomfort,welfareandtheperformanceofbeefcattlehousedonconcreteslats.

Ournewreinforceddesignhasahighgripprofileand8yearwarranty.

Thecushioningeffectoftherubberincreasesstandingtimesatthefeedfence,thisresultsinhigherfeedintakeandincreasedaveragedailyweightgains.Thispatentedproducthasaneasytofitrubber-wedgesolutionandismadefromthehighestqualitynaturalrubbercompound.Ourslattedrubberfloorcoveringhasbeendesignedtofitoldandnewconcreteslats.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

“We bought EASYFIX Slat Rubber and it was a big investment. The mats have really transformed our system. The company installed them and they have been a fantastic investment. Growth rates increased by between one quarter and one third of a kilo per day and I put that down to increased comfort.”

Adam Quinney, UK Beef Farmer

“I have found that the cattle spend more time lying down, feet problems and lameness have become a thing of the past and growth rates have improved significantly.”

Chris Bourns, Irish Beef Cattle Producer, Co. Galway

Finishes 1,400 cattle annually on EASYFIX Slat Rubber.

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SLATTEDBUILDINGS

NEW:EASYFIXSDRSLATRUBBER (See Page 10 for details)

NO.1CHOICE

FARMERS

FOR OVER 20 YEARS

HOLLAND

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SLATTEDBUILDINGS

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Smoothandslopedsurfacetofacilitatefasterrunoff.

• Softforincreasedanimalcomfortandwelfare.

• Reduceslameness.

• Increasesproductivity–averagedailyweightgains.

• Betterfeedconversion.

• Patentedtwostriprubberwithwedges.

• Smoothandslopedsurfacewithslipstrips.

• Suitablefornewandusedconcreteslats.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

Customsizesavailableforallslatsizes. 8years


EASYFIX SDR SLAT RUBBEREASYFIX SDR Slat Rubber was designed to improve the comfort, welfare and performance of cattle housed on concrete slats.Thesmoothandsoftrubberflooring,providesa

comfortableandconfidentwalkingsurface.Itis

suitableforinstallationinwalkways,passageways

andslattedhousing.

IRELAND

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SLATTEDBUILDINGS

NEW DESIGN AVAILABLE

IRELAND

IRELAND

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SLATTEDBUILDINGS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

EASYFIX SLAT RUBBER SYSTEM

1. WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF USING EASYFIX SLAT RUBBER? • Improves animal comfort, welfare and performance. • Reduces lameness. • Improved heat detection due to enhanced foothold. • Enhanced grip – the unique surface profile of EASYFIX slat rubber provides animals

with a greater foothold and allows for more natural movement and behaviour without fear of injury.

2. CAN OFF SIZED SLATS BE CATERED FOR? Yes we can tailor rubber to all slat sizes.

3. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? The lifespan of the product is linked to the application in terms of – Animal type (bulls vs suckler cows), length of winter, etc. but in most cases we would anticipate a lifespan of 15-20 years.

4. WILL IT WEAR? All rubber products be it car tyres or slat mats will wear over time – however EASYFIX use a very high spec compound and the rate of wear is gradual over a prolonged period of time. Wear is also dependent on other factors such as length of housing

period, animal type etc.

5. WHAT APPLICATION IS SUITABLE FOR HEAVY STOCK LIE BACK AREAS?

MG Max 4, MG Max 8 or MG Evo.

6. WHAT PRODUCTS ARE SUITABLE FOR TOE SPACES? EASYFIX MG Traffic or EASYFIX MG Action (recommended for heavy stock and

high volumes).

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<SECTION>

EASYFIX LIE BACK AREAS

Award-winning innovative solutions for the agricultural industry. Wehavearangeofproductssuitableforinstallation

inliebackareasdependingontheirapplication.Our

rubbermattingsolutionscreateacomfortableand

insulatedlyingsurfacewhichincreasesthewelfareand

productivityofbeefcattle,sucklersandheifers.

BENEFITS FEATURES

•Increasesanimalcomfortandwelfare.

•Eliminatesthecostsassociatedwithstrawbedding.

•Reduceslameness.

•Increasesproductivity:Averagedailyweightgainsforcattle.

•Betterfeedconversion.

•NaturalRubbercompound.

•EasyDIYinstallation.

•Easytocleanandmaintenance-free.

EASYFIXMGMAX4(See page 16 for details)

EASYFIXMGMAX8(See page 16 for details)

EASYFIXMGEVO(See page 17 for details)

AskYourEASYFIXrepresentativeforfurtherdetails.

EASYFIXMGMOTION(See page 52 for details)

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TOESPACES

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Providesbeefcattlewithmaximumgripandconfidence.

• Veryeasytoinstall.

• Naturalrubbercompound.

• ‘Penny’gripdesign.

• Stronginterlockontwosides.

• Recessedholesaroundtheedgesfacilitatestainlesssteelfixings.

• Easytocleanwithwaterorbrushscraper.

• ‘Penny’griponundersidesothatmatscanbeinverted.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

MGAction1 305mmx2235mmx18mm•12”x88”x3/4”*




5years

EASYFIX MG ACTION EASYFIX MG Action is a high grip rubber mat available in four widths (1’, 2’, 3’ & 4’) and is ideal for installation under high volume and heavy stock. Therubbermatsprovideacushionedstandingsurfaceatthefeedfaceresultinginhigherfeedintakeandincreasedproductivity.Thematscanbeinstalledinentranceandexitlanes,feedfacesandtoespaces.

Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.


BENEFITS FEATURES

• Providescattlewithmaximumgripandconfidence.







• ‘Penny’griponundersidesothatmatscanbeinverted.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

MGTraffic1 305mmx2235mmx18mm•12”x88”x3/4”*MGTraffic2 610mmx2235mmx18mm•24”x88”x3/4”*MGTraffic3 915mmx2235mmx18mm•36”x88”x3/4”*MGTraffic4 1220mmx2235mmx18mm•48”x88”x3/4”*

3years

EASYFIX MG TRAFFIC EASYFIX MG Traffic 1, 2, 3 and 4 have a ‘penny’ high grip surface and are ideal for entrance and exit lanes, feed faces and toe spaces.Thematsareavailableinfourwidths,haveexcellentgripandarehardwearing.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

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BENEFITS FEATURES

•Calvesalwayshaveadrycomfortablelyingareatherebyreducinginfections.

• Eliminatestheneedtousestrawwhichisexpensive.

• Easytomonitornutritionalscoursagainsttheblackrubber.

• Easyandquicktoinstallandremove.

• Cutsdownonlabourandrunningcosts.

• Easytocleanwithapowerhose.

• Easytorelocateandstore.

• Soft,slopedrubbercoveringwithslipstrip.

• 30mmgapbetweentheslatstoallowliquidsthrough,butstopcleatsgettingcaught.

• Treatedtimberwhichwilllastupto10years.

• Rubberblocksunderneaththetimbertoavoidcontactwithwater.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

OptionA 1730mmx1280mmx135mm•681/16”x501/4”x51/4”*

OptionB 1800mmx1130mmx135mm•703/4”x441/2”x51/4”*

5years


CALFCOMFORT

EASYFIX CALF SLATSEASYFIX Calf Slats provide an elevated flooring solution for young calves, which are portable, easy-to-store and reusable.Thecalfslatsofferanalternativetostrawbeddingandthetreatedtimberwithitssoftrubbercoveringcreatesadrycomfortablelyingsurfaceforyoungcalves.

Therubbercoveringisdesignedwithslipstripsandfittedtoatreatedtimberplatform,theplatformisthenelevatedon38mmrubberblocks.

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EASYFIX MG MAX 4

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Providesbeefcattlewithmaximumgripandconfidence.

• Facilitatesfastermovementofanimals.




• Stronginterlockonfoursides.



• ‘Penny’gripontheundersidesothatmatcanbeinverted.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1000mmx1000mmx22mm•393/8”x393/8”x7/8”* 3years

EASYFIX MG Max 4 has a ‘penny’ high grip surface and is ideal for walkways and collecting yards.

Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfaceforbeefcattle.


BENEFITS FEATURES









• ‘Penny’gripontheundersidesothatmatcanbeinverted.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


EASYFIX MG Max 8 has a ‘penny’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in high traffic areas on large scale farms. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfaceforanimalsandaresuitableforinstallationincollectingyards,walkwaysandpassagewayswithveryhightraffic.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

* Note: All dimensions provided are subject to rubber manufacturing tolerances.

EASYFIX MG MAX 8

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WALKWAYS

WALKWAYS

EASYFIX MG EVO EASYFIX MG Evo has a ‘hexagonal’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in collecting yards, feedpads, walkways and passageways. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacereducinglamenessandtheassociatedveterinaryandhealthcarecosts.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

BENEFITS FEATURES


• Betterlocomotionandmorenaturalgait.


• Reduceslameness&theassociatedhealthcarecosts.



• ‘Hexagonal’highgripprofile.

• Studprofileunderneath.




DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1150mmx1770mmx24mm•451/4”x695/8”x1” 5years

EASYFIX MG CHEVRON 8

BENEFITS FEATURES

• ‘Penny’highgripsurfacewithchevronsformaximumfoothold.

• ‘Penny’profileontheundersideforextracomfort.


• Interlockingonfoursides.

•‘Penny’gripprofileunderneathfordrainage.

• Notsuitableforusewithautomaticscrapers.

• Canbecleanedwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1000mmx1000mmx22mm•393/8”x393/8”x7/8”* 5Years

EASYFIX MG Chevron 8 is ideal for use in very high traffic, sloped or slippy floors such as lairage areas.

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Reducesfeedwasteandlabour.

• Increasesfeedintake.

• Reducescontaminationfrombirdsandrodents.

• Feedalwaysremainsinfrontoftheanimal.

• Suitableforusewithalldietfeedersandmixerwagons.

• Interlockingplasticfeedtroughsystem.

• Sectionscanbeinterlockedtogivetherequiredlength.

• Adjustablewidthtosuitfeedingneeds.

• Capsatthetopforfillingwithwaterandreleaseplugsatthebottom.

• Moldedforkliftpoints.

• Lightweightshatterproofplastic.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1570mm(l)x650mm(h)x650mm(d)•613/4”(l)x255/8”(h)x255/8”(d)

5years

EASYFIX EASYFEEDEREASYFIX EasyFeeder is an interlocking plastic trough system for feed lanes. Themolded,non-toxicandshatterproofplastichasasmooth,raisedandslopedplasticsurface.Itissuitableforusewithalldietfeedersandmixerwagons.

FEEDAREAS

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Theopensystemallowsessentialheadmovementsduringfeedingandmorenaturalfeedingbehaviour.


• Providesbetteraccesstofeedduetotheincreasedreachofanimals.

• Eliminatesinjuriesandmarkstraditionallyassociatedwithsteelalternatives.

• Reducesstress.

• Galvanizedsteelframewithcurvedplasticdivisions.

• Flexibleplasticpipesthatshapetotheanimal’sbody.

• Modularsystem.

• Availableinred,greenandblue.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

Modularsectionsthatcanbeadjustedforanysizerequired.

5years

EASYFIX EVOLVEEASYFIX Evolve is a pioneering advance in animal feed systems that optimises animal welfare and performance. TheEvolveisafeedbarriersystemforcattle,designedtoextendtheanimals’reachandallowforincreasedfeedintake.Theuniquedesignalsoprovidessafeaccessandegressforfarmworkers.

FEEDAREAS

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EASYFIX MG CHEVRON 8

BENEFITS FEATURES

• ‘Penny’highgripsurfacewithchevronsformaximumfoothold.

• ‘Penny’profileontheundersideforextracomfort.



•‘Penny’gripprofileunderneathfordrainage.

• Notsuitableforusewithautomaticscrapers.


DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


EASYFIX MG Chevron 8 is ideal for use in very high traffic, sloped or slippy floors such as lairage areas.

EASYFIX MG MAX 8EASYFIX MG Max 8 is a hard wearing mat, ideal for use in high traffic areas such as lairage areas and large scale farms.

BENEFITS FEATURES

• ‘Penny’highgripsurfaceformaximumfoothold.

• Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscraperswhichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.

• ‘Penny’gripundersidesothatmatscanbeinverted.




DIMENSIONS WARRANTY



LAIRAGEAREAS

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2121

BUILDINGDESIGN

SLATTED HOUSING IN IRELAND

Livestock Housing in Ireland and throughout Europe for beef cattle during the winter months is predominantly in buildings with slatted concrete floors.

InIrelandduetotheseasonalityofgrass,theproductionsysteminuseforrearingandfinishingbeefcattleconsistsofagrazingseasonof8months,followedbyawinterhousingperiodof4/5monthsduration.Thiswinterperiodcanvary,dependingontheweatherandistypicalforhousingofheifersandbullocks,whereasbullscanbehousedforlongerperiodsbecausetheycanbedifficulttomanagewhileonpasture.

Itisestimatedbybeeffinishersthattheuseofrubberonconcreteslatsnetsanextra€50peranimaloverthewinterperiod.Atastockingrateof2.2squaremetresperanimalandthecostofrubberatapprox.€55persquaremetre.Thecostperheadisapproximately€121.Asaninvestmentthefarmerwillhavepaybackwithin2.4years.

Giventhisrelativelyquickpaybackperiod,progressivefarmerswillcontinuetoinstallEASYFIXSlatRubberintheirslattedhouses.

ConcreteslattedfloorsarethedominantwinterhousingsystemusedinIreland.Theadvantageofthistypeofsystemincludeslowlabourcosts,lowerspacedemands,veryefficientmanuremanagementandrelativelycleananimals.

Aprolongedperiodstandingonconcreteisrecognisedasamajorriskfactorforlameness.Italsocausesmoreinterruptedlyingdownmovements,fewerlyingboutsandthesurfacecanbecomeveryslippy.Concreteslatsarealesspreferredlyingareaforgrowingcattlecomparedwithrubbercoveredslats.Hardconcreteslatscausecompressionlesionsandlegdiseasessuchascarpalbursitisingrowingcattle.

Concretealsoleadstotheprevalenceofclawandlegdisorders.Severesolelesionsandwhitelinehaemorrhagesareoftenfoundinbullsthatarekeptonconcreteoverthewinterperiod.Inveryseverecasesthisleadstodepressedappetite,reducedfeedintakeandareductioninaveragedailyweightgain.

In an industry that is accustomed to very tight margins, farmers cannot sustain income losses due to lameness, poor thrive,

reduced finishing weights and extended housing periods.

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KILDALTONTRIAL

TRIAL RESULTS ON EASYFIX SLAT RUBBER AT KILDALTON

THESE WEDGES FIT DOWN INTO THE GAPS BETWEEN THE SLATS.

THE MATS HAVE RUBBER WEDGES – USING THE CORRECT SIZE WEDGE IS ESSENTIAL.

HOW THEY ARE APPLIED

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FEATURESOFEASYFIXSLATRUBBER: MATSINSULATIONPROPERTIES:

•Rubberistoughandlonglasting,withaproperbalancebetweensoftnessandresilience.

•Itsuniqueprofileenhancesdrainagefromtheslattedfloor.

•Theycanbeappliedtonewandusedslats.

•Slat-matpiecesaredesignedtofitallmakesandtypesofslats.

•Metabolisableenergy(M.E.)=80%ofthegrossenergy.

•Netenergy(N.E.)=60%ofthegrossenergy.

•M.E.–heatincrement=N.E.

•N.E.isusedforanimalproductsandmaintenance.

•Insulationqualityofmatsreducesheatlossfromtheanimals,henceincreasingN.E.levels.

KILDALTONTRIAL

PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON SLAT RUBBER

PROBLEMS WITH CONCRETE SLATS

Cattletendtobestiffandgetswollenjointsafterspendingmorethantwomonthsonconcreteslats.Thisreducesthebullock’sthriveandweightgain,makesthemmoreuncomfortable,andhindersthebullock’sabilitytogetupanddownwithease.TheimageontherightillustratesaFriesianbullockwithaswollenkneejoint.

Animalsonconcreteslatsswayedfromsidetosidewhilestanding.Thiswasduetopainanddiscomfort,ascattleonconcreteslatswilleitherstanduporliedownforlongperiodsoftime.Thepictureontherightshowsabullockontheconcreteslatsgettingupwithdifficultyduetotheanimalhavingsorekneejoints,hetakestheweightoffhishindlimbsbygettingupfrontlegsfirst.Thisisnotanormalwayforhealthycattletorise.

Continental cattle on EASYFIX slat rubber mats were 0.3 of a dirt score category less than their comrades on bare slats.

Friesian cattle on EASYFIX slat rubber mats were 0.6 of a dirt score category less than their comrades on bare slats.

Continental cattle on EASYFIX slat rubber mats weighed 14.2kgs more than their comrades on bare concrete slats.

Friesian cattle on EASYFIX slat rubber mats weighed 10.1kgs more than their comrades on bare slats.

Continental cattle gained 0.13kgs live weight extra every day on EASYFIX slat rubber mats.

Friesian cattle gained 0.15kgs live weight extra every day on EASYFIX slat rubber mats.

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DIRT SCORE RESULTS

AVERAGE PEN WEIGHTS

A.D.G. RESULTS

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• EASYFIX slat rubber mats have approximately three times more grip than the concrete slat.

• Small bubble-like perforations and grooves on the mats improve the grip for the animals whilst walking and getting up and down.

• Extra grip gives the animals more confidence and they act as if outside in their natural environment.

• They are often seen to be licking or “grooming” themselves showing the confidence of their foothold as illustrated by the image on the left.

KILDALTONTRIAL

Comparison of cattle’s step-length on the concrete slat and the EASYFIX slat rubber mats gave the following results:

• On EASYFIX Slat Rubber mat is 78cm.

• On concrete slats it is 56cm.

• On pasture it is 80cm.

• There is a slit void area difference of 2.9%.

• Due to narrower void areas on the mats, there is a more even distribution of the animal’s weight on their hooves helping to eliminate lameness.

• This smaller void area in the EASYFIX slat rubber mats failed to make the cattle dirtier due to the gradient on the EASYFIX improving drainage of dung and urine and making the cattle cleaner.

EACH FRIESIAN ON EASYFIX SLAT RUBBER MATS MADE ON AVERAGE €37.44 MORE THAN THEIR COMRADES ON BARE CONCRETE SLATS.

ECONOMIC VIABILITY

Are the EASYFIX slat rubber mats economically viable to the finishing beef farmer?

Price Difference/Animal €37.44/animal

Price Difference/m2 of slat rubber €17.00/m2

Cost of slat-mats €55/m2

Number of winters required to earn back investment €55/€17.00 = 3.2

120 Day Winter*

GRIP

STEP LENGTH

PRICE DIFFERENCE & ECONOMIC VIABILITY

CONCLUSIONS

• Animals gained more weight and were cleaner coming off the EASYFIX slat rubber mats.

• No animals got lame or incurred any stress or injury on the EASYFIX slat rubber mats.

• Cattle were more confident, livelier and more comfortable on the EASYFIX slat rubber mats.

• Animal step length was on average 22cm longer on EASYFIX slat rubber mats than on bare concrete slats.

• EASYFIX slat rubber mats had approximately 3 times more grip than bare slats.

• Cattle on concrete slats were stiffer, got up less frequently and with difficulty, lay down and stood up for longer periods of time, and swayed from side to side while standing.

• It takes 3.2 winters to earn back the EASYFIX slat rubber cost, where the length of the winter is 4 months, making them economically viable to the finishing beef farmer.

• Natural rubber compound ensures EASYFIX slat rubber mats will not lose their shape.

* Economic viability updated based on today’s prices

VOID AREA

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The year 2005 proved to be a watershed in the farming practices of Richard and Deirdre Bourns at Lisbeg Farms. They made a conscious decision to improve efficiencies on their farm and change their focus of just chasing sixteen and twenty two month premiums. This also coincided with the return of their son Christopher from New Zealand and together, they drew up plans to change and improve work practices. They set about producing all their own grain and root crop feedstuffs on farm, making them self-sufficient in all

feed consumed. This had the dual benefit of improving ration quality as well as guaranteeing their cattle free of

GM feedstuffs, which is very attractive to the processor.

The Bourns also made improvements to the ventilation in their buildings by raising the pitch of the roof and

increasing air outlet space from 0.5 metres to 1.2 metres. This greatly reduced the amount of respiratory problems

in their cattle. They also made changes to ensure adequate amounts of fresh, clean water, which is essential in

good animal production.

THE GAME CHANGER

For a number of years, Richard had considered the installation of rubber on his slats, but found the price off

putting. In 2009 however, he was experiencing up to 11% lameness and decided to introduce EASYFIX Rubber

Products in half of one shed.

As he was still feeding bulls in July, Richard immediately noticed a difference in how his animals reacted on rubber,

and the overall positive effect that the rubber had. Based on his observations, Richard decided to install EASYFIX

Rubber Products in all of his sheds. Since installing EASYFIX, Richard has consistently noticed dramatic reductions

in lameness each year, dropping from 11% in 2009 to 0.5% in 2014. Other positive outcomes following EASYFIX

installation included increased ADG and reduced number of days to beef.

CHART1on p.27 indicates the high ADG that were achieved on Lisbeg Farms over a one year period in heifers,

bullocks and bulls. These figures were obtained following installation of EASYFIX Rubber Products.

CHART2reveals major differences in ADG, % Lameness and Days to Beef both before and after EASYFIX Slat

Rubber had been installed. Figures obtained from the ‘Before’ group are based on a group of 741 animals on

concrete slats over a one year period. Figures obtained from the ‘After’ group are based on a group of 419 animals

over a six month period.

From this chart, we derived that ADG were increased, % lameness was decreased and days to beef were reduced

in the group of animals housed on EASYFIX Rubber Products.

PAYBACK

CHART3represents the payback or the economic benefit to Lisbeg Farms over a 100 day and 120 day winter

period. With the current price of EASYFIX Rubber at €55 euro per sq metre and a stocking density of 2.2 sq

metres per animal, the cost per animal of installing rubber is €121. The benefit over 100 days winter is €109.20.

This will give a payback over 1.1 winters. A similar short payback period is achieved with the longer 120 day winter.

Prices of Beef currently is €3.90/kg.

CASE STUDY: LISBEG FARMS

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BUILDINGDESIGN:CASESTUDY

CHART 1

CHART 2

CHART 3

BEEFPRODUCTIONLISBEGFARMS1/08/2014TO31/07/2015

HEIFERS BULLOCKS BULLS

ADG 1.2KG 1.3KG 1.45KG

QUANTITY 290 161 991

BEEFPRODUCTIONBEFOREANDAFTEREASYFIXSLATRUBBERINSTALLATION

*BEFORE –

ON CONCRETE SLATS

**AFTER –

ON EASYFIX SLAT RUBBER

DIFFERENCE

AVERAGE DAILY LIVE WEIGHT GAIN

0.7KG/DAY 1.2KG/DAY +0.5KG/DAY

LAMENESS 11% 0.5% -10.5%

DAYS TO BEEF 150 120 -30

*BEFORE 1/08/2008 TO 31/07/2009 741CATTLESLAUGHTERED **AFTER 1/8/2009 TO 08/02/2010 419CATTLESLAUGHTERED

EASYFIXSLATRUBBERLIVEWEIGHTGAINROI

0.5 KG / DAY 56% KO @ E3.90/KG

100 DAY WINTER 50KG 28KG E109.20

120 DAY WINTER 60KG 33.6KG E131.04

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SECTION 2DAIRY

HOLLAND

IRELAND

SLOVENIA

HOLLAND

SAUDI ARABIA

SAUDI ARABIA

IRELAND

IRELAND

30

EASYFIX DAIRY HOUSING SOLUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD

KENYA ITALY

UK UK

UK NEW ZEALAND

JAPAN

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DAIRYHOUSING

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Flexibleandmoveablearmsleadtoareductionininjuries.

• Allcowsizesareaccommodated.

• Cowsareencouragedtoliecorrectlyinthecubiclebed.

• Cubiclebedsaremorespacious;cowsliedownquickerandforlongerperiods.

• Improvingcowcomfortreducesveterinarycosts&lowerscowmortality.

• Increasedrestingtimeleadstohighermilkproduction.

• Improvedcowwelfareandbetterbodycondition.

• Reducedreplacementrates.

• Flexibleplasticpipes,rubberloopandrubberneckrailcouplings.

• Fixedandflexiblerubbercouplingsnowavailable.

• Postmanufacturedfrom60mmx60mmx4mmgalvanisedsteel(Traditionalsteelcubiclesare2.7–3.0mm)

• Easytoinstall.


WARRANTY

10years

EASYFIX CUBICLES

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The revolutionary EASYFIX Cubicle delivers the freedom of the outdoors-indoors and is proven to maximise cow comfort, improve safety and increase performance.SincethelunchofEASYFIXCubiclein2009wehavesoldover250,000cubiclesin40countriesaroundtheworld.

Theadditionoftheflexiblerubberloopin2014hasbeenamajorsuccesstransformingthecubicleintothe‘Safestandmostcomfortablecowcubicleintheworld’.

Ourflexiblecubiclesystemaccommodatesthesizeofeachcow,encouragescowstoliecorrectlyandforlongerperiods.Increasedlyingtimescombinedwithimprovedcowcomfortleadstohighermilkproduction.

The flexible cubicle arms, rubber loop and rubber neck rail brackets provide freedom of movement into and out of the cubicle leading to a significant reduction in injuries. Reducinginjuriesisamajorfactorthatcontributestoareductioninhealthcareandveterinarycosts,aswellasloweringreplacementrates.

Thefixedandflexiblerubbercouplingsaredesignedtoattachtheneckrailtothecubicle.Itsmouldednaturalrubbercompositioniscowfriendlyandrequiresnomaintenance.

Thepatentedflexiblerubbercouplingisdesignedtoaccommodatelargercowsandimprovestheircomfortandwelfare.

TheEASYFIXScratcherisaninnovativecubicleaccessorydesignedtoprovideenvironmentalenrichmentandincreasedcowcomfort.Ithasbeendevelopedtoenrichthecows’environmentandencouragesincreasedcubicleuse.

FLEXIBLERUBBER LOOP

FLEXIBLECUBICLE ARMS

FLEXIBLE RUBBER COUPLING

FIXED RUBBER COUPLING

SCRATCHER

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EASYFIX SIESTA

EASYFIX DREAM

EASYFIX Siesta is a new cubicle system with a single bend design for use in conjunction sand based or deep bed systems.

EASYFIX Dream is a new cubicle system with a two-bend design for use in conjunction with a mat or mattress type system.

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Designedtooffermaximumcowcomfortfordeeplitterbedsandsandcubicles.

• Theprofileofthecubicleensurescowlieinthecorrectposition.

• Reducedsoilingofthebedssurface.

• Singlepostmountingsystemensuresunrestrictedlungingspaceforthecow.


• Fixedandflexiblerubbercouplingsforneckrail.

• Postmanufacturedfrom60mmX60mmX4mmgalvanisedsteel(Traditionalsteelcubiclesare2.7–3.0mm).

• Easytoinstall.


WARRANTY

10Years

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Designedforuseinconjunctionwithcowmatsormattresstypesystems.


• Reducedsoilingofthebedsurface.





• Easytoinstall.


WARRANTY

10Years

NEW

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EASYFIX Life is a new cubicle system with a raised two bend design which minimises animal contact with the flexible plastic arms. It is designed for use in conjunction with sand based or deep bed systems.

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Designedtooffermaximumcowcomfort.

• Theprofileofthecubicleensurescowlieinthecorrectpositionandpreventssidelungingforcowswhenrisingleadingtoreducedsoilingofthebedsurface.





• Easytoinstall.


WARRANTY

10Years

EASYFIX Calm a cubicle system with a straight flexible arm, design for use in conjunction with a mat or mattress, deep litter beds and sand type systems.

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Designedtooffermaximumcowcomfortfordeeplitterbed,sandcubicles,ormat/mattresssystems.


• Reducedsoilingofthebedsurface.





• Easytoinstall.


WARRANTY

10Years

EASYFIX CALM

EASYFIX LIFE

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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY“I replaced 150 old Newton Rigg cubicles with EASYFIX cubicles and mattresses in 2015. Cow comfort is exceptional. The cubicles and mattresses are very durable and hygienic. They are also much safer: I’ve seen cows do some stupid things in the shed – but I’ve yet to see one even try to get stuck in an EASYFIX Cubicle!” Michael & Catherine Gowing 350 cow dairy herd in Offaly, Ireland

“Cows are very comfortable in the EASYFIX Cubicles and if a cow is shunted against the flexible pipes she won’t get hurt – unlike the old steel cubicles. They are easy to clean – because of the nice precise edges on the mats it meant that we could get them nice and flush with the concrete step between the cubicle rows – this means there are no little gaps for muck to lodge in and lift the interlocking rubber cow mats. The cow scratchers included on the EASYFIX cubicles were a bonus in terms of cow comfort.” Mervyn Stanley, Woodville Dairy Farm (300 cows), Ireland

“We wanted to emphasise cow comfort, which is why we chose to go with EASYFIX Stall Dividers. The stall dividers are just like any others, but rather than a steel loop, it is made from a rubber loop. This slight difference allows for more flexibility and comfort for the cow. When a cow tries to get up, the stall doesn’t knock her right back down. She is able to get up just about every time. They have enough flexibility that they keep the cows where they need to be but not enough that they are moving all around.” Mitchell Dairy & Grain, Winnebago, USA

“We saw the flexible EASYFIX cubicles on other farms and were impressed by them. We actually cancelled an order for steel ones. I was sceptical of the 3’ 9” centre-to-centre spacing that EASYFIX recommended for the cubicles, but in hindsight, we are now very thankful for it. It certainly straightened up the awkward cows that used to try to lie sideways in the wider steel ones. The EASYFIX cubicles flex to almost 4’ anyway and the safety of them gives great piece of mind for us. When you have as much breeding gone into your pedigree stock as we have – the last thing you want to find in a morning is a top cow or heifer stuck in a steel cubicle! Look – even with the EASYFIX cubicles you’ll get the odd cow that will try to push her way through the head-to-heads, but usually, they will go straight through – and the important thing is that they don’t injure themselves.” Elwyn and Cheryl Thomas, Gelligatrog Pedigree Holstein Friesian Herd (216 cows), UK

“The cows are exceptionally comfortable in the EASYFIX Cubicles and we have noticed a huge drop in SCC compared to the previous straw and sand based systems. The sand bill has reduced significantly and we also got an extra 6-7 cubicles into the shed versus what we would have fit in using the old steel cubicles. We’re very happy with the 3’9” centre to centre spacing that the EASYFIX cubicles are installed. They flex to four foot, so it’s not an issue at all for our bigger cow. We keep a lot of bigger cows and lost a cow stuck in a steel cubicle back in 2014, so when we saw the EASYFIX product at various shows, it was the obvious solution to us”. Giles & Jeremy Clark, 400 cow operation at Longshaw Farm, UK

ITALY USA

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Environmentalenrichment.

• Increasedcowcomfort.

• Encouragesincreasedcubicleuse.

• Nomaintenancerequired.

• Flexibleprotrusionsontwosides.

• SuitableforinstallationwithEASYFIXCubicles.

• CanberetrofittedtoexistingEASYFIXCubicles.

WARRANTY

3years

BENEFITS FEATURES

•Positionthecowcorrectlywhenlyinginthecubiclebed.

•Preventsthecowlyingtoofarforward.

•Eliminatessoilingonthecubiclebed.

•Designedtosupportthecow’sweightandallowshertoextendherlegforwardandrestinanaturalposition.

•Durableplasticmaterial.

•Curveddesignwithnosharpedges.

•Pre-drilledholesallowforeasyinstallation.

•Availableinred,greenandblue.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1150mm(l)x150mm(h)x180mm(d)•45”(l)x6”(h)x7”(d) 5Years

EASYFIX SCRATCHERS

EASYFIX BRISKET BOARD

The EASYFIX Scratcher is a new innovative cubicle accessory designed to provide environmental enrichment and increased cow comfort.

Ithasbeendevelopedtoenrichthecows’environmentandencourageincreasedcubicleuse.

Theflexibleprotrusionscreateasafeenvironmentforcowstoscratch.

Italsocreatesabetterlyingposition.

EASYFIX Brisket Board is ideal for use in new and existing cubicle housing. Thebrisketboardisdesignedtopositionthecowcorrectlywhenlyinginthecubiclebedandpreventthecowlyingtoofarforward,whichcanleadtosoilingonthecubiclebed.

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Positionthecowcorrectlywhenlyinginthecubiclebed.

• Preventsthecowlyingtoofarforward.

• Eliminatessoilingonthecubiclebed.

• Designedtosupportthecow’sweightandallowshertoextendherlegforwardandrestinanaturalposition.

• Durableplasticmaterial.

• Curveddesignwithnosharpedges.

• Pre-drilledholesallowforeasyinstallation.

• Availableinblack.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


5Years

EASYFIX BRISKET BOARD: BLACK

EASYFIX Brisket Board is ideal for use in new and existing cubicle housing. Thebrisketboardisdesignedtopositionthecowcorrectlywhenlyinginthecubiclebedandpreventthecowlyingtoofarforward,whichcanleadtosoilingonthecubiclebed.

DAIRYHOUSING

EASYFIX Calf Slats provide an elevated flooring solution for young calves, which are portable, easy-to-store and reusable.Thecalfslatsofferanalternativetostrawbeddingandthetreatedtimberwithitssoftrubbercoveringcreatesadrycomfortablelyingsurfaceforyoungcalves.Therubbercoveringisdesignedwithslipstripsandfittedtoatreatedtimberplatform,theplatformisthenelevatedon38mmrubberblocks.

EASYFIX CALF SLATS

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Calvesalwayshaveadrycomfortablelie,therebyreducingnavelinfections.

• Eliminatestheneedtousestrawwhichisexpensive.

• Easytomonitornutritionalscoursagainsttheblackrubber.

• Easyandquicktoinstallandremove.

• Cutsdownonlabourandrunningcosts.

• Easytocleanwithapowerhose.

• Easytorelocateandstore.

• Soft,slopedrubbercoveringwithslipstrip.

• 30mmgapbetweentheslatstoallowliquidsthrough,butstopcleatsgettingcaught.

• Treatedtimberwhichwilllastupto10years.

• Rubberblocksunderneaththetimbertoavoidcontactwithwater.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

OptionA 1730mmx1280mmx135mm•681/16”x501/4”x51/4”*

OptionB 1800mmx1130mmx135mm•703/4”x441/2”x51/4”*

5years



WALKWAYS

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Softerforincreasedcowcomfortandimprovedwelfare.

• Smooth&slopedprofilefacilitatesfastrun-offandcleanercattle.

•Reduceslameness.

• Increasesproductivity-higherdailymilkyields.


•Suitableforusewithscrapers.

• Improvesheatdetection.

•Smoothandslopedsurfacewithslipstrips.

•Patentedtwostriprubberwithrubberwedges.

•Ribbedprofileunderside.

•Customsizesavailableforallslatsizes.

•Suitablefornewandusedconcreteslats.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


EASYFIX SDR SLAT RUBBER

EASYFIX SDR Slat Rubber was designed to improve the comfort, welfare and performance of cattle housed on concrete slats.Thesmoothandsoftrubberflooringprovidesacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacefordairycowsandaresuitableforinstallationinmilkingparlours,collectingyards,walkwaysandpassagewayswithveryhightraffic.

Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.FAQ’S: PAGE 12

FAQ’S:PAGE12

NEWAMMONIAREDUCINGRUBBERAVAILABLEONREQUEST

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COWMATTRESSES

The Jupiter S is a new 60mm cow mattress with a unique and innovative design. Thedesignincorporatesanintegratedbrisketboardatthefrontandpillowontwosideofthemattress.Thisuniquefeatureisa‘worldfirst’andensuresoptimumpositioningofthecowwhenlyinginthecowcubicle.

Themattresshasacushionedtopsurfacewhichpreventshockdamageandleginjuries.Astuddedprofileontheundersideprovidesmaximumcowcomfort,withadeflectionofupto22.8mm.Thebackofthemathasaslopedandnon-abrasiveprofilewhichensuresanimalwasteispushedintothepassageway.

EASYFIX JUPITER S

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Encouragesacomfortablelyingpositionforcowsinthecubiclebed.

• Cowscanstretchtheirfrontlegsformaximumcomfort.

• Increasescowcomfort,welfareandhygiene.


• SuitableforDIYinstallation&allcubiclesizes.


• Hiddeninterlockcreatesaseamlessfinish.

• Studprofileunderneathwithupto22.7mmdeflection.

• Slopednon-abrasiveprofileattherear.

• Toadjustthewidthspacersareavailable.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1200mm(w)x1930mm(l)x60-100mm(d)•471/2”(w)x76”(l)x23/8”-4”*Weight:76Kg

10years

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COWMATTRESSES

The Jupiter F is a newly developed 60mm cow mattress with a unique and innovative design. Themattressincorporatesanintegratedbrisketboardatthefrontandpillowontwosides.Thisuniquefeatureisa‘worldfirst’andensuresoptimumpositioningofthecowwhenlyinginthecowcubicle.

Themattresshasa45mmlayerofPUlatexfoam,creatingacushionedtopsurfaceformaximumcomfort,withadeflectionofupto33mm.Thebackofthemathasaslopedandnon-abrasiveprofilewhichensuresanimalwasteispushedintothepassageway.Themattresshasbeendesignedwithahiddeninterlocktocreateaseamlessfinish.


BENEFITS FEATURES

• Encouragesacomfortablelyingpositionforcowsinthecubiclebed.

• Cowscanstretchtheirfrontlegsformaximumcomfort.

• Increasescowcomfort,welfareandhygiene.




• 45mmlatex–50%foamand50%PU.

• Latexfoamenclosedina500micronsealedwrapper.


• Hiddeninterlockcreatesaseamlessfinish.

• Toadjustthewidthspacersareavailable.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1200mm(w)x1930mm(l)x60-100mm(d)•471/2”(w)x76”(l)x23/8”-4”*Weight:76Kg

10years

EASYFIX JUPITER F NEW

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COWMATTRESSES

EASYFIX Phoenix is a cubicle mattress offering a superior level of cow comfort. The natural resting position of the cow is supported by the soft lying area within the mat. Thecubiclemattresshasa25mmlayeroflatexfoam

andisinterlockingontwosideswithaslopedprofileat

therearedge.

EASYFIX PHOENIX

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Increasescowcomfortandwelfare.


• Theopencelltechnologyofthefoamprovidesexcellentcomfort,durabilityandfirmness.


• Thewidthcanbeincreasedwiththeadditionofspacers.


• Interlockingontwosides.

• 500micronsealedwrapperenclosing25mmlatexfoam.

• Foam50%latexand50%PU.


DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1125mm(w)x1800mm(h)x37mm•443/8”x707/8”x11/2”*

10years

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EASYFIX Neptune is a cubicle mattress offering the ultimate in terms of cow comfort. Thecubiclemattresshasa50mmlayeroflatexfoam,is

interlockingontwosideswithaslopedprofileattherear.

Thecow’snaturalrestingpositionissupportedbythesoft

lyingareawithinthecentreofthemat.


BENEFITS FEATURES

• Increasescowcomfortandwelfare.


• Theopencelltechnologyofthefoamprovidesexcellentcomfort,durabilityandfirmness.

•SuitableforDIYinstallation&allcubiclesizes.


•Naturalrubbercompound.


• 500micronsealedwrapperenclosing50mmlatexfoam.

•Foam50%latexand50%PU.

•Slopednon-abrasiveprofileattherear.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1125mmx1830mmx62mm•443/8”x72”x21/2”*

10years

EASYFIX NEPTUNE

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DAIRYHOUSING–COWMATTRESSES

1. WHY BUY A MATTRESS OVER A CHEAPER RUBBER MAT? Cowscanlieforupto14hoursperday–themorecomfortableyoumakethecubicle,thelongertheywilllie.Cowsproduce5timesmoremilklyingdownversusstanding.

2. THERE IS A VAST RANGE OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR CUBICLES, ALL CLAIMING TO BE THE BEST – SO HOW DO I DECIDE? Top Cover – How thick is the top cover material? TheEASYFIXmattresshasatopskinofupto12mmonthe25mmLatexMattressandupto12mmonthe50mmLatexMattress–mostcontinuoussystemsavailablerangefrom3mmto6mm.

WhatistheLatexmadefrom?ALatexMattressismadeupoftwomaterials–Latex&Polyurethane.TheLatexisthepartthatprovidesthememoryandcushioningeffect.EASYFIXusea50:50splitintheirlatexandtestsconcludethatourlatexloses2%elasticityovera10yearperiod.Competitors(iftheyknow)willtypicallyusesan80:20splitasthisisacheaperoption,andthememoryandcushioningofthelatexwilldeteriorateoverashorterperiodoftime.

Theweakestpartofanymattressistheback4”–6”wherethecowsstepfirsttoenterthecubicle–hereisthepointwhereyouaremostlikelytofindtears–atthispointtheEASYFIXMattresshasaminimumof25mmofsolidversuscontinuoussystems3mm-6mm.

Withcontinuoussystems,ifatearoccursthereplacementisexpensiveasyouwouldhavetoreplacetheentirerun.

3. WHAT ABOUT HOCK DAMAGE? EASYFIXhasdesignedthetopsurfaceofthemattresswithafinishthatprovidesalevelofgripthatisnon-abrasivetocows–comparedtocanvastypematerialsthatcancausehockdamage,whichhasimplicationsforherdhealthandinparticularfertility.

4. HOW CAN I TEST FOR COMFORT? Thesimplekneetestisagoodindicatorofcomfort,free-falltoyourkneesandassesstheimpact-rememberacowwhenlyingdowntransfers70%ofherbodyweighttohertwofrontkneesandfreefallsfor18-24”soagoodcushioningsurfacewillreduceimpactoncowsknees.

5. HOW DO YOU CLEAN THE MATTRESSES? Mattressescanbecleanedusingahandscraper,brushormechanicallypropelledcubiclebedderwithacleaningarm.

6. CAN YOU USE LIME OR OTHER ABSORBENT MATERIAL WITH THEM? Itisrecommendedwithallcubiclemat/mattresssystemstouseabeddingmaterial,suchassawdust,limeetc.Thiswillabsorbanyliquidrunoff,ensurebedsremaindry,andmaterialwithantibacterialagentsorlimewillensurebacteriagrowthisloweredandthereforekeepSCClow,andpreventmastitis.


EASYFIX PHOENIX & NEPTUNE

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EASYFIX LIBRA EASYFIX Libra is a straight edge cubicle mat providing a good level of cow comfort at a competitive price. It is suitable for dairy and suckler cows.


BENEFITS FEATURES

• Goodlevelofcowcomfort.


• SuitableforDIYinstallation.

• Easytoclean‘Hammertop’surface.

• Honeycombandstudprofileontheunderside.

• Availablewithstraightedges.


• Slopedprofileattherear.

• Alsoavailablewithinterlocksontwosides.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1150mm(w)x1830mm(l)x23mm•451/4”x72”x7/8”* 10years

EASYFIX LIBRA I

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Goodlevelofcowcomfort.



• Easytoclean‘Hammertop’surface.



• Honeycombdesignontheunderside.


• Slopedprofileattherear.

• Alsoavailablewithstraightedges.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1125mm(w)x1800mm(l)x23mm•441/4”x707/8”x7/8”* 10years

EASYFIX Libra i is an interlocking cubicle mat providing a good level of cow comfort at a competitive price. It is suitable for dairy and suckler cows.

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EASYFIX LIBRA

1. WHAT WIDTH WILL THE LIBRA I COVER WHEN INTERLOCKED? Thewidthis1125mm.

2. HOW WIDE IS THE LIBRA I WITH THE DOVETAILS REMOVED? Thewidthis1100mm.

3. CAN THE LIBRA I BE USED IN LIE BACK AREAS?Yes,itmaybeusedinliebacksbutisnotsuitableforuseunderbullsorheavystock.

4. IS THE MAT ABRASIVE AND LIKELY TO CAUSE HOCK DAMAGE? AllEASYFIXCubicleMattingisdesignedwithanon-abrasivefinishanddonotcausehockdamageincows.

5. WHAT IS THE EXPECTED LIFESPAN?TheEASYFIXCowMatwasdevelopedover17yearsago.Itismadefromahighqualitynaturalrubbercompound.Basedonproductperformancetodate,wewouldexpectthematstolast20+years.

6. CAN SPACERS BE USED TO INCREASE THE WIDTH OF COW MATS? Yes.Spacersareavailableandwilladd75mm/3inchestothewidthoftheLibrai.

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EASYFIX SATURNEASYFIX Saturn is a cubicle mat ideal for sucklers and dry cows.


EASYFIX MERCURY

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Studdedprofileunderneathforadditionalcomfort.

• Easycleannon-abrasivesurface.


• Studprofileontheunderside.



DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1220mm(w)x1830mm(l)x17mm•48”x72”x5/8”* 3years

BENEFITS FEATURES







DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1140mm(w)x1830mm(l)x17mm•447/8”x72”x5/8”* 3years

EASYFIX Mercury is a straight edge cubicle mat ideal for sucklers, dry cows and heifers.

COWMATTRESSES

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EASYFIX PLUTOEASYFIX Pluto is a straight edge cubicle mat ideal for young stock in smaller training cubicles.


EASYFIX SPIRIT

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Idealforyoungstockintrainingcubicles.

• Slipresistantsurface.







DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

920mm(w)x1520mm(l)x17mm•361/8”x593/4”x5/8”* 3years

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Maximisesthedistributionofsandindeepcubiclebeds.

• Idealforusewithsandororganicbeddingmaterials.


• Suitableforusewithsandrakes/groomers.

• Nomaintenancerequired.

• Reducessanduseby20%-40%.

• Honeycombedshapedcompartments.

• Slopedprofiletowardsthefrontofthematallowsgreaterdepthofsand.


• Semi-closedcellstoensurethematstaysinposition.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1150mm(w)x1400mm(l)•453/8”(w)x551/8”(l)(Slopedfrom30mmto100mm•2”to4”)

5years

EASYFIX Spirit has honeycomb shaped compartments to maximises the distribution of sand in deep bed cubicle systems.

Theslopedprofiletowardsthefrontallowsthe

cowstolowerandrisewithease.

SLOPEDPROFILE

100mm 30mm

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Softerforincreasedcowcomfortandimprovedwelfare.

• Smoothandslopedprofilefacilitatesfastrun-offandcleanercattle.

•Reduceslameness.




• Improvesheatdetection.

•Smoothandsoftsurfacewithslipstrips.

•Patentedtwostriprubberwithrubberwedges.

•Ribbedprofileunderside.

•Customsizesavailableforallslatsizes.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


EASYFIX SDR Slat Rubber System was designed to improve cow comfort, welfare and the performance of dairy cows housed on concrete slats. Thesmoothandsoftrubberflooringprovidesacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacefordairycowsandissuitableforinstallationinmilkingparlours,collectingyards,walkwaysandpassagewayswithveryhightraffic.


FAQ’S:PAGE12

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EASYFIX SDR SLAT RUBBER NEW

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WALKWAYS

Award winning innovative solution for the agricultural industry. TheawardwinningEASYFIXSlatRubberSystemwasdesignedtoimprovethe

comfort,welfareandperformanceofcowshousedonconcreteslats.Ournew

reinforceddesignhasahighgripprofileand8yearwarranty.Thecushioning

effectoftherubberincreasesstandingtimesatthefeedfence.Thisresultsin

higherfeedintakeandincreasedmilkproduction.

Theuniquedesignfeaturesahighgripdiamondsurface,withasloped

profileandribbedundersurface.Thepatentedproducthasaneasy-to-fit

rubberwedgesolution,andismadefromthehighestqualitynaturalrubber

compound.Theslattedrubberfloorcoveringhasbeendesignedtofitnewand

usedconcreteslats.

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Increasescowcomfort,welfareandconfidence.

•Reduceslameness.

• Increasesproductivity-Averagedailyweightgainsforcattle,andhighermilkyieldforcows.



• Improvesheatdetectionduetoenhancedfootholdandcomfort–almostthesameaspasture.

•Newreinforceddesign.

•Highgripprofile.

•DLGSignumtestapproved.

•Patentedtwostriprubbersystem.

•Suitablefornewandusedconcreteslats.

•Allsizesofslatscateredfor.

• Slopedprofileforquickurinerun-offtoincreasedrainageaswellasreduceemissions.

• Self-wedgedsolution(noadditionalfixationmaterialrequired).

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


NO.1CHOICE

FARMERS

FOR OVER 20 YEARS

EASYFIX SR SLAT RUBBER

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WALKWAYS

EASYFIX MG MAX 4EASYFIX MG Max 4 has a ‘penny’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in milking parlours, walkways and collecting yards. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingandstandingsurfacefordairycattle.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Providescowswithmaximumgripandconfidence.



• Canberecessedintotheconcreteinnewbuilds.






• ‘Penny’gripontheundersidesothatthematscanbeinverted.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


EASYFIX MG MOTION

BENEFITS FEATURES


• Honeycombdesignontheundersideprovidesextracomfortanddeflection.


• Easytoinstall.


• ‘Penny’gripformaximumfootholdandcomfort.

• Stronginterlockontwosidescreatesaseamlessjoint.



DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1125mmx1800mmx28mm•441/4”x707/8”x11/8” 5years

EASYFIX MG Motion is a ‘penny’ high grip interlocking mat which provides dairy cows with an excellent foothold in walking and standing areas.Therubbermatsprovidecowswithacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurface.TheMGMotionissuitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.


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EASYFIX MG EVOEASYFIX MG Evo has a ‘hexagonal’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in milking parlours, collecting yards, feedpads, walkways and passageways. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacereducinglamenessandtheassociatedveterinaryandhealthcarecosts.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

BENEFITS FEATURES












DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1150mmx1770mmx24mm•451/4”x*695/8”x1”* 5years

EASYFIX MG Max 8 has a ‘penny’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in high traffic areas on large scale farms. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacefordairycowsandaresuitableforinstallationinmilkingparlours,collectingyards,walkwaysandpassagewayswithveryhightraffic.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

EASYFIX MG MAX 8

BENEFITS FEATURES











DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


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WALKWAYS

BENEFITS FEATURES




• Matscanberecessedintotheconcreteinnewbuilds.







DIMENSIONS WARRANTY





5years

EASYFIX MG ACTION EASYFIX Action is a high grip rubber mat available in four widths and is ideal for installation under high volume and heavy stock. Therubbermatsprovideacushionedstandingsurfaceatthefeedfaceresultinginhigherfeedintakeandincreasedproductivity.Thematscanbeinstalledinentranceandexitlanes,feedfacesandtoespaces.


EASYFIX MG TRAFFIC

BENEFITS FEATURES











DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

MGTraffic1 305mmx2235mmx18mm•12”x88”x3/4”*




3years

EASYFIX MG Traffic 1, 2, 3 and 4 have a ‘penny’ high grip surface and are ideal for entrance and exit lanes, feed faces and toe spaces.Thematsareavailableinfourwidths,haveexcellentgripandarehardwearing.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

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FEEDAREAS

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BENEFITS FEATURES

• Reducesfeedwasteandlabour.


• Reducescontaminationfrombirdsandrodents.

• Feedalwaysremainsinfrontoftheanimal.

• Suitableforusewithalldietfeedersandmixerwagons.

• Interlockingplasticfeedtroughsystem.

• Sectionscanbeinterlockedtogivetherequiredlength.

• Adjustablewidthtosuitfeedingneeds.

• Capsatthetopforfillingwithwaterandreleaseplugsatthebottom.

• Moldedforkliftpoints.

• Lightweightshatterproofplastic.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


5years

EASYFIX EASYFEEDER

EASYFIX EasyFeeder is an interlocking plastic trough system for feed lanes. Themolded,non-toxicandshatterproofplastichasasmooth,raisedandslopedplasticsurface.Itissuitableforusewithalldietfeedersandmixerwagons.

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Theopensystemallowsessentialheadmovementsduringfeedingandmorenaturalfeedingbehaviour.


• Providesbetteraccesstofeedduetotheincreasedreachofanimals.

• Eliminatesinjuriesandmarkstraditionallyassociatedwithsteelalternatives.

• Reducesstress.

• Galvanizedsteelframewithcurvedplasticdivisions.

• Flexibleplasticpipesthatshapetotheanimal’sbody.

• Modularsystem.


DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

Modularsectionsthatcanbeadjustedforanysizerequired. 5Years

EASYFIX Evolve is a pioneering advance in animal feed systems that optimises cow welfare and performance.TheEvolveisafeedbarriersystemdesignedtoextendthecow’sreachandallowforincreasedfeedintake.Theuniquedesignalsoprovidessafeaccessandegressforfarmworkers.

EASYFIX EVOLVE NEW

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FEEDAREAS

BENEFITS FEATURES











DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


MGAction2610mmx2235mmx18mm•24”x88”x3/4”*



5years

EASYFIX MG ACTION EASYFIX Action is a high grip rubber mat available in four widths and is ideal for installation under high volume and heavy stock. Therubbermatsprovideacushionedstandingsurfaceatthefeedfaceresultinginhigherfeedintakeandincreasedproductivity.Thematscanbeinstalledinentranceandexitlanes,feedfacesandtoespaces.


EASYFIX MG TRAFFIC

BENEFITS FEATURES











DIMENSIONS WARRANTY





3years

EASYFIX MG Traffic 1, 2, 3 and 4 have a ‘penny’ high grip surface and are ideal for entrance and exit lanes, feed faces and toe spaces.Thematsareavailableinfourwidths,haveexcellentgripandarehardwearing.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

FEEDAREAS

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MILKINGPARLOURS

EASYFIX MG EVO EASYFIX MG Evo has a ‘hexagonal’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in milking parlours, collecting yards, feedpads, walkways and passageways. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacereducinglamenessandtheassociatedveterinaryandhealthcarecosts.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

BENEFITS FEATURES












DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1150mmx1770mmx24mm•451/4”x695/8”x1”* 5years


EASYFIX MG MOTION

BENEFITS FEATURES


• Honeycombdesignontheundersideprovidesextracomfortanddeflection.


• Easytoinstall.


• ‘Penny’gripformaximumfootholdandcomfort.

• Stronginterlockontwosidescreatesaseamlessjoint.



DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

1125mmx1800mmx28mm•441/4”x707/8”x11/8” 5years

EASYFIX MG Motion is a ‘penny’ high grip interlocking mat which provides dairy cows, with an excellent foothold in walking and standing areas.Therubbermatsprovidecowswithacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurface.TheMGMotionissuitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

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MILKINGPARLOURS

EASYFIX MG MAX 4EASYFIX MG Max 4 has a ‘penny’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in milking parlours, walkways and collecting yards. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingandstandingsurfacefordairycows.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

EASYFIX MG Max 8 has a ‘penny’ high grip surface and is ideal for use in high traffic areas on large scale farms. Therubbermatsprovideacomfortableandconfidentwalkingsurfacefordairycowsandissuitableforinstallationinmilkingparlours,collectingyears,walkwaysandpassagewayswithveryhightraffic.Suitableforusewithautomaticscrapersandroboticscrapers,whichhavebeenadjustedforuseonrubberfloors.Idealforcleaningwithapressurewasherorwaterhose.

EASYFIX MG MAX 8

BENEFITS FEATURES










• ‘Penny’griponundersidesothatmatcanbeinverted.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


BENEFITS FEATURES











DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


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PARLOURPITS

BENEFITS FEATURES

• Excellentanti-fatigueproperties.


• Resistanttomilkingmachineacids.

• Reducesstrayvoltage.

• Highgripsurface.

• EVAmaterial.


• Availableinblue&green.

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY


EASYFIX SOFTFLOOR EASYFIX SoftFloor is a high grip floor covering that reduces fatigue and offers a good level of comfort for operators in the parlour pit.

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EASYFIX PARLOUR MATTING1. WHY SHOULD I INSTALL RUBBER IN THE MILKING PARLOUR?

Rubberinthemilkingparlourcandelivermanybenefitsforboththefarmerandthecow.Milkingtimesarereduced,cowflowincreases,cowsdon’tslipandgethurt,cowscomeintotheparlourbetter.Howisthispossible?Theaveragegaitlengthforacowonconcreteis600mm,grassis800mmandrubberisalso800mm.Thismorenaturalmovementandincreasedsteplengthwillmovecowsthroughthesystematafasterpace.

Milkletdownbycowsisalsoimprovedthroughstandingonacomfortablerubbersurfaceversushard,coldconcreteascowsfeelmorerelaxed.

Cowsalsocomeforwardtotheparloureasierascowswillopttostandonrubberneartheparlourentranceasopposedtoconcreteinthecollectingyard.

Allparlourdesignsusuallyrequiresharpturnsbycows.Typicalherringboneparlourswillhave90degreeturns,rotaryplatformsrequirea180degreeturnetc.Anywhereyouaskacowtoturn,itputspressureontheclaw.Thisisamainsourceofclawdamageleadingtodigitaldermatitisorwhitelinelameness.Thisiscausedfromtheabrasivenatureofconcrete,whereasrubberprovidesacushionedsurface.

2. IS IT EASY TO CLEAN? Cleaningtimeshouldbesimilartoconcretefloors,allEASYFIXrubberisdesignedtowithstandcleaningchemicalsetc.

3. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Withanyrubberflooringitisvitaltoensurethatthecorrectmatisusedinthecorrectareaandunderstandingthevolumeofcowsthatarebeingmilkedwilldeterminehowlongaproductwilllast.Considerthetrafficfroma1,000cowherdmilkedthreetimesadayversusa100cowherdmilkedtwiceaday–1.1mcowpassesvs.73,000cowpassesperannum.EASYFIXstrivestodevelopproductsthataredurableanddelivervalueformoneyforcustomers-onaverageEASYFIXproductsshouldlast15+yearsdependingonapplicationandtrafficlevels.Note:IfyouareunsureaboutwhatproductbestsuitscontactamemberoftheEASYFIXproductsupportteam.

4. WHAT MATS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MILKING PARLOURS AND COLLECTING YARDS? EASYFIXMGMax4/EASYFIXMGMax8/EASYFIXEvo/EASYFIXMotion.

5. WILL THE EASYFIX MG MAX 4 COVER COVER 1M2 WHEN INTERLOCKED? Yes.

6. DO THE EASYFIX EVO DIMENSIONS INCLUDE THE INTERLOCK? Yes,theyincludetheinterlock.

7. HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND CLEANING THE PARLOUR MATTING? Themattingiscleanedinexactlythesamewayasanormalconcretefloor,chemicalsandcleaningagentswillnotaffectthemat.

8. WHAT MATS SHOULD YOU INSTALL IN THE PARLOUR PIT? EASYFIXSoftFloorisahighgripfloorcoveringthatreducesfatigueandoffersagoodlevelofcomfortforoperatorsintheparlourpit.TheEVAmatmeasures1mx1mx22mmandisinterlockingonfoursides.

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HOUSINGDESIGN

DAIRY HOUSING DESIGN SERVICE

WeprovideaFREEdesignserviceformadeto

measuredairycubiclehousingsystems.

WecanalsoarrangeaFREEon-farmvisittodiscussyourcurrentdairyhousingexpansionplans,duringwhichourexperiencedteamwillprovideyouwithanon-sitetechnicaldesignandadvisoryservice.

ContactusforaFREEon-farmconsultationon0909643344oremailinfo@easyfix.ie

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HOUSINGDESIGN

GUIDELINES FOR DAIRY HOUSING DESIGN

1. WIDTH OF EASYFIX CUBICLES TheoptimumwidthforEASYFIXcubiclesisbetween3ft9”/1.15meters–3ft11”/1.2metres.Thiswidthwillallowcowstheoptimumamountofroomtoliedownandliecomfortablyinthecubiclebed.Conventionalsteelcubiclesaresetat47”/1.2metres.WiththenarrowerplacementsintheEASYFIXcubiclesyoucanachieveanextracowspaceforevery15cowsor6cowsin100.Thisisanimportantfactorincostingnewbuilds.

2. LENGTH OF SINGLE CUBICLE BEDS Therecommendedlengthforsinglecubiclebedsis8ft/2.4metresataminimum.ThislengthwillevenallowverylargeHolsteincowsenoughroomtoriseandlungeforwardinthebedwhenlyingdownandgettingup.Whenolddairycubiclehousesarebeingretrofittedthisisnotalwaysachievable,butcertainlyinnewbuildsthismeasurementshouldbethetarget.

3. LENGTH OF HEAD-TO-HEAD CUBICLE BEDS 15ft/4.57metresistheminimumrecommendedlengthforhead-to-headcubicles;thiswillallowcowssufficientlungingroom.Italsofacilitatestheuseofonepostfortwohead-to-headcubiclesintheEASYFIXsystem.

4. CUBICLE STEP UP Therecommendedstepupfromthefloortothetopofthematshouldbe7”/178mmto8”/203mmataminimum.Thisheightwillhelptomaintaincleanercubiclebedsasitallowstheeffluentinthechanneltobespreadoveralargersurfacearea.5/6inchesisdefinitelytoolow.

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5. CUBICLE PASSAGESThewidthofthecubiclepassageisrecommendedataminimumof10ft/3metres.Ifthecubiclepassageisanynarroweritwillimpedeandrestrictthemovementofcowsastheyleaveadjacentcubiclebeds.Dependingonthecleaningmechanismintheshed,itcanalsoleadtothechannelbetweenthecubiclesfillingupveryquicklyandthecowsdraggingtheeffluentuponthecubiclebed.Inextremecases,itcanleadtodirtyhooves,whichinturncanleadtolaminitis.

6. HEAD SPACE AT THE FEEDING FACECowsrequireapprox2ft/0.6metreheadspacetofeedsufficiently.Thisisparticularlynecessaryforfreshlycalvedcowswherebodyreservesneedtobemaintainedthroughmaximizingintakes.

7. CUBICLE TO FEED FACE Thecubicletofeedfaceiscriticalandshouldbeatleast15feetor4.57metres.Thisspacewillfacilitatecleanerpassagesandeasiermovementofcowsfromtheircubiclestothefeedface.

8. CUBICLE CROSS OVERSCubiclecrossoversshouldbelocatedafterevery22-25spacesmaximum.Thisallowsforbettercowflowandaccesstowaterwhichshouldbelocatedateach22cowsections.

9. WATER AT ALL CROSS OVERS Theavailabilityoffreshcleanwateratallcrossoversishighlyrecommended.Asaruleofthumba750kgdairycowwillconsume16gallons/73litresofwaterperdayincoldweatheranddoublethatamountinhotweather.Itisimportantthatdrinkingtroughsareplacedateachcrossoverpointinashed,sothatcowsdon’thavetotraveltoofartoaccessthetrough.Thechoiceofwatertroughisalsoimportantwithsufficientcapacityinthetrough,goodwaterpressureandalsothatthetroughsareeasilycleaned.

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HOUSINGDESIGN

REDUCING LAMENESS IN DAIRY HOUSING

There is a growing awareness of the importance of controlling lameness in dairy herds. As in the case of most production diseases the causes of the problem is likely to be multifactorial.

The incidenceof lamenessand the lesionsassociatedwith lamenessvarieswidelybetweeneachmanagementsystem,forexamplebetweenpastureanddairycowshousedforthewinterperiodandalargepartoftheyear.

Indoorconcretesurfacesofmilkingyardsandshedscanbeabrasive,particularlyinthecasewherean effort has been made to keep the surface rough to minimize cows slipping. Unfortunately, acombinationofthisroughnessandmoistureleadstoexcessivehoofwear.

Amajorcauseoflamenessinyardsisaresultofsmallstonesandsandbeingbroughtintotheyardfrompastureandroadways.

Poorly designed farm yards with a lot of right angled turns leads to cows pivoting and twistingwhichcausesextrapressureontheoutsideclaw.Thisinturncanleadtoclawlesions,manifestingaslameness.

Excessiveuseofelectrifiedbackinggatescausescowstocompactatthebackoftheyard,tolifttheirheadsandtomovefromsidetosideastheytrytopushforward.Thisinterfereswiththecowsplannedhoofplacement,andhoofinjurycanresult.

Likewise,whencowsarebeingencouragedintothemilkingarea,theycanswerveawayfromtheoperatorcausinghoofinjury.

Rubbermattingwhichisplacedinkeyareasaroundthefarmyardwillgreatlyhelptooffsettheeffectofhardconcretesurfaces.Cowsaremoresure-footedwhentheywalkonrubberandtheiractualsteplengthincreasestothatofwalkingongrass.

Rubberwithagoodprofileoffersasuperiorgripwithouttheharmfuleffectstotheclaw.Aswellashelpingtopreventandreducelameness,rubberalsoofferscushionedflooringtocowsthatareold,withpoorwalkinggaitandexistinglamecows.Whenlamecowswalkonrubberflooringtherecoveryperiodisreduced.

Thereisnodoubtthatthestrategicuseofrubberinthecollectingyard,onthemilkingplatform,atthefeedfaceandaroundthecrushareawillgreatlyreducetheprevalenceoflameness,speedupmilkingtimes,reducevetbillsandincreaseproduction.

Rubber with a good profile offers a superior grip without harmful effects to the claw. As well as helping to prevent and reduce lameness, rubber also offers

cushioned flooring to cows that are old, with poor walking gait and existing lame cows. When lame cows walk on rubber flooring the recovery period is reduced.

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IMPROVING COW COMFORT IN AND AROUND THE MILKING PARLOUR Dr. Laura Boyle – Teagasc animal welfare scientist

But why worry about lameness? Lameness is thesecond most important production disease and amajorreasonforcullingofdairycowsaftermastitis.The pain and suffering associated with lamenessmakes it a major welfare problem of dairy cows.Research from Northern Ireland estimates that theaverageprevalenceoflamenessindairyherdsis33%.Thismeansthatatanyonetimeonethirdofthecowsinaherdarelame.

Furthersouth,wherecowsspendmoretimeatpasturethisfigureisslightlyloweratbetween20%and25%,but this is still too high. Scientists working for TheEuropeanFoodSafetyAuthority(EFSA)compiledaninfluentialsetofreportsondairycowwelfarein2009.IntheEFSAreportonlamenesstheyconcludedthat10%isanacceptedprevalence,irrespectiveofthewayinwhichmilkisproducedi.e.grassbased,zerograzedetc.Oneofthemainconstraintsonachievingthislevelisthatfarmerstypicallyunderestimatethescaleoftheproblemaswellasitsimpactoncowwelfareandfarmfinances(couldbeashighas€200/lamenesscaseifproductivitylossesaretakenintoaccount).

In most cases, lameness can be avoided simply bypayingbetterattentiontotheenvironmentandmostimportantly,toconditionsunderfoot.InIrishpasture-based systems, roadways and concrete flooring aremajor risk factors for lameness. In spite of minimalperiods of housing in several parts of the country,cowsstillspendaconsiderableamountoftimeeverydaystandingandmanoeuveringonconcrete.

The2001Teagasc labourstudyshowedthatmilking(cluster on/off) takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hrs. It isunlikely that thishaschangedmuchas largerherdshave been matched with efficiencies in the milkingprocess.Thismeans that the last cows toenter theparlour (these are always the same animals!) couldbestandingonconcrete forup to5hours/day.Thelast cows are often the ones that are lame whichcompoundstheproblem.

TheTeagasc labour studyalso showed that40%ofcows were held at the parlour, often on concrete,after being milked. So being early in the process isnoguaranteeofanearlyreleasefromconcrete!Thefragmentationof larger farmswill contribute to thisproblemwithroadstocrossetc.Combineallofthiswithslipsandfallsascowsarehurriedintoposition,andunnaturalstrainsareplacedonthehoofascowsare forced to make 90o turns at the parlour exit. Itbecomeseasy toseewhy there isa role for rubberflooringinandaroundthemilkingparlour.

Cows have more confidence when they feel surefooted while walking. Rubber flooring offers asuperiorgripand ismuchkinder to theclawas theroughedgesofconcreteposea risk toclawhealth.Furthermore,unlike rubber,concretedoesn’tabsorbanyoftheshockwhencowsfallonitmeaningthatalloftheshockisabsorbedbythecow.Thecushioningadvantage of rubber offers particular benefits tolame cows as pressure on the sole is reduced. Thismay even speed up the healing process. As cowsaremorerelaxedwhencomfortableduringstanding,rubberflooring in theparlourmayevenmakecowseasiertomilk.Strategicpositioningofrubbercanalsoencouragecowstomovefromthecollectingyardintotheparlour thereby further speedingup themilkingprocess.

Theprevalenceoflamenessonfarmsrangesfrom0%to80%,indicatingthatsomefarmersaremuchbetteratpreventingandmanagingtheproblemthanothers.Thestrategicuseofrubberflooringinandaroundtheparlour,atthefeedfaceandinotherhandlingareassuchasthecrushcanhelpfarmersreapthefinancialrewards associated with reducing the prevalence oflamenessinthedairyherd.

Increasing herd sizes as well as time and labour constraints mean that concrete flooring found in collecting yards and milking parlours may be having a much greater impact on lameness in dairy cows than before. Cows have to stand for longer while waiting to be milked and at the same time, are under greater pressure to move quickly through the system. Improving cow comfort in this area will not only help to reduce lameness but will also improve cow flow, therefore reduce milking times.

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“We are the first generation on this family-farm”explains Michael. Children Caoimhe (5), Saoirse (3)andMichael(1)mightbealittleyoungtohelpoutyet-butonegetstheimpressionthatitwon’tbelong!

Askedwhat“doingitright”entails–Michaelhastheanswersatthetipofhistongue–asonlyashrewdandexperiencedmanagercould.

Successful dairy-farming really boils down to 5 keyground-rules in Michael’s book. Eagle-eyed, modestand quick-witted, when Michael speaks you realisethatthesefivesimplerulescouldeasilybeappliedtoanymanagementinlife–farmingorotherwise:

1.Learningonthejob:Notonetoshyawayfromanexperimentor try somethingnew–Michael saysheneverhasaclosedmindtopickingupsomethingnew,be it fromadiscussiongroup,visitorstothefarm,aneighbourorthroughhisowntrialanderror.Afterfirsthearingaboutthebenefitsofparlourmatsanumberof years ago, Michael invested in EASYFIX rubber -forboththecowsandthemilker-thisspring.“Iwasafter selling the calves and I suppose EASYFIX gotthetouch”jokesMichael.“Iwasalittlehesitantaboutthepriceatfirstbut Icanhonestlysaythat it is thebestinvestmentIhavemadeonthisfarm”.“Iwouldn’thavesaidbeforehandthatIhadanyproblemswiththeconcreteforthecowsintheparlour,butthedifferencein cow comfort and presentation for milking sinceinstallingtherubberismassive.”“Iusedtohavethesebigtanksofcowsthatwouldn’tlineupproperlyandwouldtakeupaspaceandahalf.Thesecowsvanishedthedayweputintherubber.Cowsaresomuchmoreconfidentbecausetheyaresure-footed.Theypresent

perfectlyformilkingandcowflowthroughtheparlourisexceptionalnow”.Highpraiseindeed!

2. Running a well-defined and straight-forwardSystem:ThecowsontheGowingsfarmgrazeinasinglegroup.Thereisnolameorsickherd.Thisallowsforthefastestandmostefficientuseoflabouratmilkingandsettingupgrazings.Cowscalvefrom1stJan,whichisearlyforagrass-basedsystem,butitsuitstheGowingssystemfromalabour,housingandbreedingpointofview. The herd is now almost entirely HO/FR, withNorwegianRedsandJerseycrossesphasedoutovertheyears.HavingfoundthesystemthatsuitsScorduff,Michaellikestokeepthingsconsistent-choppingandchangingisnotappreciatedinaherdthissize!

3.AttentiontoDetail:Doingthesimplethingsrightfirsttimebringsgreatrewardinthelongrunandthesmallest of efficiency gains can give a big pay-off.Back in 2015, liming the cubicles was a job no-oneonScorduffFarmwasqueuinguptotake!However,withtheinvestmentinaBobmanthisallchangedandnowthereisnoshortageofvolunteersforthejob.TheBobmansweepsthebottomthirdofthecubicleswhileat the same time dispensing sawdust and lime. Thetimetakentodothisjobhasdroppedfrom2hoursto20minsperday.

Calf health is another area where Michael prioritisesthebasics;“Everylastcalfhereisstomachtubedwithbiestings - even if he has been sucking. We won’tleaveittochance.”The20,000Gallonundergroundwaterreservoirisanothersmartly-designedfeatureonthefarm.

Doing it right first time is second nature to Michael & Catherine Gowing. To paraphrase Mark Twain: “There are two types of people in this world - those who get things done and those who talk about doing.” A quick tour around Scorduff Dairy Farm in Co Offaly, leaves the visitor in no doubt about which of those groups Michael Gowing fits in! “Dairy farming is no big get-rich-scheme” saysMichael,“butdonerightitwillpayyoubackinthelongrun”.Anddoing it rightseemstobethemottofortheGowingsonthisbusyandefficient350cowfarm. Originally a Laois man, Michael bought thethen290-acre farm in2007.Michael andhiswifeCatherine-bothofthemformerMacraNaFeirmePresidents - have grown the farm further overthe past decade by purchasing and leasing moreadjoining land and increasing herd size by 50%.Michaelrunsthefarmalongwithtwofulltimestaff.

EXCEPTIONAL COW COMFORT AFTER REPLACING 150 STEEL CUBICLES WITH EASYFIX CUBICLES AND COW MATTRESSES

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When building the new cubicle house and tanks in2009,Michaeldecidedthatheneededabetterreserveofwater;“350cowscandrinkahellofalotofwater”hejokes!Whiletherearethreewellsonthefarm,thesupplyisnotgreatfromanyofthemsotheynowallfeedintothe reservoiralongwith the rainwatercollected fromtheconsiderableroofareainthefarmyard.Michaelhasthereservoirsetupwithseriesofballcocksatdifferentlevels.Rainwaterisusedfirst,followedbythewellsandthen“inemergency”themainssupplykicksin.

4.PlanningandAdaptingtoChange:2009wasatoughyearindairyinganditwasnodifferentonScordufffarmwhereMichael&Catherinewerejustgettinggoinginthenewventure.Andyetaperiodofterriblemilkpricessosoonafterinvestingdidn’tphasetheever-sanguineMichael.“Look”–hesays–“itwasn’teasy;butyoujusthave tocutyourcloth tosuityourmeasure in thosetimesandthat’swhatwedid.”ThattheGowingscamethroughthatcommoditypricestormevenstrongerby“doingitright”isnosurprisegivenMichaelsconsideredandflexibleapproachtomanagement.

5.HardWork!ThefinalandmostimportantofMichael’singredientsofsuccessfuldairying.Michael’ssystemmaybeconsistentandstreamlined,butitisno9-5.Springtimeistoughgoingintermsofhoursbutacompactcalvingseasonmeansthat90%willcalvein6weeks.Thesecrettothecompactcalvingseasonissimple,hesays;“Justtakethebullaway!”

BREEDING&FEEDING

Withakeen interest inPedigreebreeding,Michael’s listofbullbreedsisnotwhatonewouldexpectonatypicaldairyfarm.StockbullsincludeBB,LM,SI,SP,HEandAA.Michaeloperatesthebullsonarotationbasis,withtwobullsrunningwiththecowsatalltimes.

AIisallFRforthefirstfourweeks,thenchangingtobeefandfinallythestockbullsgooutforthelastthreeweeks.AlltheAIiscarriedoutbyMichael,whoalsodoessomeETworkandkeepsasmallnumberofPedigreeBeefcowsonthefarm.Michaellikesabig,functional,fertilecow.HeseesEBIasausefultool,butonlyoneofarangeoftoolshe uses to select breeding stock. This spring broughtgreatdividendswithanelitebullcalfbeingboughtforAI.

“I have no problem spending time in the parlour – it’s the only place on a dairy farm, where the cow is making you money.”

Thesilagegroundistypicallycuttwiceandthereseedingrotationinvolvessowingwintertriticaleforwhole-cropbeforeputtingbackintograssthefollowingAugust.Hefindsthissystemespeciallygoodforkeepingcontrolofdocksandfieldsareverylevelafterwardsasaresultofbeingploughedtwice.Thewhole-cropsilageisfedtomilkersinwinterandMichaelfindsitasuperfeed.

“Cowsareclean,holdbodyconditionverywellanditcutsthemealbill!”Duetotheshortwinterlastyear,thisisthefirstyearMichaelhasnotneededtosowwhole-cropashehadapit leftover in theyard.He isveryhappywiththeEASYFIXsilagemats.Thewhole-cropcanbeverydrysogettingagoodseal isevenmoreimportant.

The EASYFIX silage mats form a continuous seal,areclean,easytohandleandarealsoagreatdeterrenttocrows.

EASYFIXCOWCUBICLES&MATTRESSES

Michael replaced 150 old Newton Rigg cubicles withnewEASYFIXcubiclesandmattressestwoyearsago.Heseescowcomfortasexceptionalandappreciatesthattheyareverydurableandhygenic.

“Cows do some stupid things in the shed – but I’ve yet to see one even try to get stuck in an EASYFIX Cubicle! ”

EASYFIX slat mats are used for the bulls and thepedigree cows over-winter. Michael also installed the40mmEASYFIXrubbermattingintheparlourpit.“Themilkercanspend4hoursadaystandingonconcrete”hesays.“Ihavenoproblemspendingtimeintheparlourit’s theonlyplaceonadairy farm,where thecow ismakingyoumoney.”

FUTUREDEVELOPMENT

Asked about plans for further expansion, Michael’sanswerisstraight-forward-“DownthelineI’llmilkmorecowsifitpaystomilkmorecows”.“Forthemoment,therestrictionsherearenolongerquota,butsourcinggoodlabourandtheneedtofinda littleextrafamilytimeattheendofalongday”.

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SLIPPERYSLATS

TheMullersuppliermilkstwiceadaythrougharotaryDairymasterparlour,whichwasfirstinstalledin2010.Averageherdlactationis9,500LwithlowsoutgrazingfromMarchtoNovember.TheGibbons’maincubiclehouseisslattedandwasbuiltin2004.However,aboutsix years ago, Anthony first started to encounterproblemswith the slats. “We started to seea lotofinjuries in the cows”. “We realised that the concreteslats were becoming slippery and cows were verynervouswhenstandingupandlyingdown”.“Alotofcowsweregettinglesionsontheinsideoftheirhoovesandperformanceandyieldwassuffering”.

After making several enquires, Anthony decided toinstallEASYFIXSlatRubberMatsinthreebaysoftheshed between heelstone and feed face. “It was aninstantsolutionforus”,explainedAnthony.“TheveryfirstdaythatthecowswereontheEASYFIXslatmatsyoucouldseetheyweresomuchmorecomfortableandconfidentstandingatthefeedbarrier”.

“They weren’t worried about slipping and injuringthemselves–andneitherwerewe!”Yieldsandcowthrive improved almost instantly, due to increasingfeed intakes and more relaxed cows at the feedbarrier.Anthonycouldseethatthehard-wearingandcomfortableEASYFIXmatsweretheanswerhehadbeen looking for. Over the next few years Anthonyput down EASYFIX slat mats on more pens, fromthe cubicle heelstone to the feedface, eventuallycompletingtheshedlastyear,all467m2.

“It’s easilyoneof thebest investments I havemadearound the farmyard in recent times” says Anthony.“Wehadbeenlosingyieldandhadculledseveralgoodcows through injuries and lameness because of theslipperyslats”.“BuildinganyslattedhousinginfutureIwouldn’thesitatetoputdowntheEASYFIXmatsondayone.”“Theonesthatare6yearsarestillasgoodasthedaytheywerefitted–Ireallyamverypleasedwithhowtheyhaveworn.”

GRAZINGGAINS

Anthony had grazed the full herd over the summerfor several years but that changed last year. “Thehigh-yielders just couldn’t handle the variability ofthe changing weather conditions”. After strugglingthrough several bouts of acidosis, in 2016 Anthonyfinally decided that only the low-yielders would begoingtograssanymore.“Itsalsoabighelpforstaff–itsmucheasierhaveasetroutineforstafftosticktoinanindoorsystem”.

Anthony has invested in the grazing infrastructurein recenttimes, inorder to improveefficiency in thegrazingherd.Reseedingiscarriedoutonrotationusingtetraploidanddiploidperennial ryegrassmixturesaswellaswhiteclovertoraisetheproteincontent.“2017had been an exceptionally good year for grazing.Grazingefficiencyhasbeenexcellentandcowshavebeenverycontented”.

Whenwevisited inthesummer,300moftrackwaysclosetotheyardhadjustbeenraisedby3feettocreateadrainoneachsideandkeepthetrackcleanforcowsinwetperiods.Drainageworkswerealsounderwayonahillyfielduptheroad.“Wegotashockwhenwewentintomowthesilagelastyearandnearlygotstuckwiththetractors.Ithadalwaysbeenaverydryfieldbefore.”SeveralnewspringshademergedfromthesideofthehillwhichAnthonyhasnowdrainedviapipeandstoneshorestothestreamatthefieldedge.

Anthonyalsoupgradedthefarm’swaterinfrastructurelastyear.“Wehadusedthebigprecastconcretetanksas water drinkers for cows in all the fields becausewithout the huge capacity cows would be queuingand getting thirsty”. A new 30,000L undergroundwaterreservoirbesidethefarmyard,fedbytwowellssolvedallthefarm’swaterproblemsovernight.

“ EASYFIX SLAT RUBBER WAS ONE THE BEST INVESTMENTS I HAVE EVER MADE”

AnthonyGibbon,alongwithhiswifeNerysandthree

children,Erin(8),Nia(6)andDaniel(6mths), farm

in the village of Mynyddygarreg, close to Kidwelly

inSouthWales.Theyrunaherdof330commercial

Holstein Friesan cows. Coming from a family

steepedinfarmingtradition,Anthony’ssiblingshave

allstayedinvolvedinagricultureinthearea.Parents

IslwynandGweneira,although retirednow, remain

activeonthefarm.Anthony’sbrothersHenry,Gethin

andRobertareinvolvedinfarminglocallyaswell.

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AROLLINGHERD

TheGibbonsmaintainarollingherdwithcowscalvingallyearround.“Cowstendtolastwellintheherd.Ouraverageiscloseto6lactationsandwehavesomecowshereupto16yearsofage”.“Someofthoseoldgirlsaregettingalittlebitofspecialtreatmentthough”–jokesAnthony.Replacementsareboughtatauctionaseitherheifersoryoungcows.“Myidealcowhasatidyframe,good milker, healthy and with good feet. ” “I do likethebiggercow–butdefinitelynottoobig.Youknowtheone thatmilks likea train–butshe’llnever last!”Cowsarewalkedthroughthefootbathonceadayaftermilkingtohardenthehoofandkeeplamenessissuesatbay.TheGenusAItechniciangenerallycallsonceadaytoservecowsonheat. “ItsanotheradvantageoftheEASYFIXslatrubber–catchingcowsonheat isnowsoeasy– theymounteachothermuchquicker thanonconcrete”.

AQUALITYDIET

TheGibbonbrothersusedtoperformcontractsilagework for other farmers several years ago. “Now thesilage work is split 50:50 between ourselves and anoutsidecontractor.Whenkidscamealong itbecametoohardforustokeepupthecontractingaswellasthefarming”.Anthonyaimsfor3-4cutsfromallthesilageground.“Weaimforhighqualitybytakingadvantageofthebestweatherconditionstomow.Ifthatmeansgettingin5or6mowerstoget220acresknockedinaday,that’swhatwe’lldo”.

Cutbyconditionermower,grassisteddedanda24-36hourwiltusually results in thedesired30%DMcrop.“Slurry goes out after every silage cut – even if thetanksarealmostempty”.Onlyslurrythatmustcrossortraveltheroadsisspreadbytanker,withtherestspreadbyumbilicalsystemanddribblebar.“Wereallytrytominimisetheamountoftankersthatgointhefieldstoreducecompactionandruttingdamage”.CowsarefedaTMRwithwheatasthestarchsource.Feed-to-yieldisperformedbyfeedinganut intheparlourtohighsyieldingover30l/dayandlowsover20l/day.“IfindtheTMRallowsus tomaintainaconsistentdietwhich isimportantintermsofsustainingpeakyield.”

“2016wasatoughyear–butyoucan’tstarvethecowsjust because you’re not getting paid for the milk”,recalledAnthony.

“Our policy was to look after the cows so that they would be ready to roll when price rose again – and they looked after us! ”

As to the future on this Carmarthenshire farm, itsobvious no attention to detail will be spared in theGibbon family’scontinualdrive towardefficiencyandprogress.Some of the excellent quality swards on the Gibbons farm seen

with the drainage work ongoing in the background

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“You could say the quota going wasa factor, but really what drove ourexpansionfrom200to300cowswasthe opportunity to take a long-termleaseona100acreblockoflandrightnextdoor”.“Thoseopportunitiesdon’tcomearoundveryoftensowesawourchance and decided to take the bullby the horns and go for it”; Mervynexplained.

To accommodate this increase to300 cows, the on-farm investmentduring 2016 included upgrading theparlour including a new three phasesupply, reseeding of the leased land,1.5km of new roadways, paddockinginfrastructure, sinking a new well, andfinally, a 6-bay double cubicle houseincluding EASYFIX cow cubicles andinterlockingcowmats.

Increasingcownumbersby50%inoneyear was no mean feat and Mervynputsthesuccessofthisstep-changeinthefarmenterprisedowntothequalityanddedicationofthehelponthefarm.Mervyn’sfatherEricstillplaysanactiverole, while Norton Greene and eagle-

eyedherdsmanJoeGannonkeep theoperationtickingoveronadailybasis.

Despitethehelponhand,having300calving down, including 120 heifersmadefortoughgoingduringthepeakspring period. While the big jump incalf numbers required much greatermanagement input, Mervyn explainedthatabigfactorthathelpedtosupressscoursand infectionswas thegreaterspaceandventilationforthecalves inthenewcalf-rearinghouse.

NEWCUBICLEHOUSE

Thefirst thing thatstrikesyouasyouenter theStanley’s new6-baycubiclehouse is the air-flow and brightness.Mervyn designed the shed in such away as to maximise feeding space,ventilation and cow comfort. Thecombination of extra height at theeaves, spaced roof sheeting and awideridgeoutletallowedforexcellentventilation. This is obvious from thealmost total lack of dust on the rooftimbers and one would never think

theshedhadbeenhometo140cowsoverthepastwinter!“Goodventilationmeanswecaneliminatecondensationintheshedandthisshouldreallyextendthe life of the timbers and steel-workandimprovecowhealth”saysMervyn.

Mervyn is delighted with theperformanceofthenewEASYFIXcowcubicles and would not hesitate tochoose them over steel in the future.Whiletheplasticcubicleswereslightlymore costly, he sees the benefits asthreefold: “Cowsareverycomfortableinthemandifacowisshuntedagainstoneshewon’tgethurt–unlikeyouroldsteelcubicle”.

“They are easy to clean – Because ofthenicepreciseedgeson themats itmeantthatwecouldgetthemniceandflush with the concrete step betweenthecubiclerows–thismeanstherearenolittlegapsformucktolodgeinandlifttheinterlockingrubbercowmats”

Asaresult,thecubiclebedscanbeveryeasilykeptcleanwithlimeandsawdustat every milking. Mervyn reckonsthat because the problem of rust iseliminatedwiththesenewcubiclestheyshould have a lifespan multiple timesthat of the old steel ones. “At least itwon’tbemethat’llhavetoworryaboutreplacingthem!”hejokes.

“The cow scratchers included on theEASYFIXcubiclerailswereabonusinterms of cow comfort” says Mervyn.TheshedwaserectedbylocalbuilderPadraig O’Toole and Mervyn creditshis attention to detail – especially intheconcretework,withhoweasilythecubicles and scrapers were installedafterwards.

CHOOSING EASYFIX CUBICLES AND MATTRESSES OVER STEEL

“Simplicity and efficiency are our goals in this enterprise”Last year was a year of significant change onWoodville Dairy Farm on the banks of the LittleBrosna in south Co Offaly, where Mervyn Stanleyfarms with his wife Orla and their three children.TheyarefarminginpartnershipwithEricandRuth–Mervyn’sparents.

WhileMervynhadneverbeenastrangertoprogressonthefamily’s200cowfarm,progresshadalwayscome in incremental steps, that isuntil 2016camealong. “Bit-by-bit and year-by-year was how wedevelopedupuntillastyear”saysMervyn.

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THECOWHERD

The Stanley’s herd is derived fromgenerations of good British Friesiancow lines from Eric’s time with moreHolstein blood introduced in recentyears.IntermsofhisidealcowMervynisuncompromising–“Iwanthertohaveitallreally;EBI,solids,fertility,mobility.”

“Aswellasbeingabletoyieldwellwithinacompact,spring-calvingsystem,Ilookforagoodsquare,deepbarrelledcowwho can go back in calf quickly andhavenotroubleonherfeet”.

Given that the leased land is over2km from the parlour it is no surprisethat Mervyn needs to stay on topof lameness. A hoof parer comes totreat lamecows fortnightlyduring thesummerandthereareplanstoimprovethe surface of roadways by blindingwithquarrydustduringtheyear.

Mervyn performs all his own AI,withover20cowsadaybeingservedwhenIvisitedduringthegoodweatherofearlyMay.

With 100 heifers going through theparlour thisspring,asecondmanwasrequired in the pit for early seasonmilking,buttheDairymasterSequentialBailingSystemisagreathelpintermsofspeedingupthecowflowbothenteringandexitingtheparlour.“Allcowscanbemilked in 2 hours in the morning andundertwointheevening”.

GRAZING

Whilemanaging300cowsinonegroupat grass in a spring calving herd mayseem a challenge, Mervyn’s secret issimplicity.“Somefellastiethemselvesupin knots planning complicated grazingsystems”. “We like to keep it simplehere.”WhilegrassqualityremainshighandStanley’sherdwasnotrestrictedbydroughtinearlyMay–Mervynsaysitwastouch-and-goforawhileafter25acresof paddocks were taken out for balesinearlyMay.Mervynwillcontinuewithaminimumof 1kgmealadaythroughthe breeding season in order to gettheherdofmostlyheifersbackincalf.The twocutsofhighqualitypit silageand all bales are made by contractornow, allowing the Stanleys to get onwithensuringgrasslandmanagementisoptimisedoverthesummer.Thelayoutof roadways and paddocking is topclassanditisobviousalotofthoughtwentintotheplanninganddesign.Even

anew“ring-road”aroundthefarmyardmeans that cows now no longer havetofollowthesamerouteastractorsandmachinerythroughtheyard.Thismeansthat during silage-making or slurry-spreadingtherearenointerruptionstoeither cow or machinery flow. Duringperiods of wet weather or on theshoulders of the grazing season extragapsareopenedtopaddocksandstripwires are used regularly to minimisepoaching.

FUTUREDEVELOPMENT

Mervyn is cautiously optimistic abouttheoutlookfordairying,butwhenaskedaboutplansforfurtherdevelopmentonthefarm,hesmiles.Theplanistoletthenewexpandedsystembed-inforafewyearsbeforeanyfurthergrowthwouldbeconsidered.

ButthisCentenaryCo-opSupplierwillnot be resting on his laurels though!Plans are already in place for a new360k Gal over-ground circular slurrystore for later in the year. Ingeniously,thisnewtankwillnotbelocatedinthefarmyard but rather, almost 1km awayonagreenfieldsitenext to the leasedlandblock.

Thiswillmeanthatslurrycanbepumpedby umbilical system about Christmastime from the tank in the yard to thenewtank.Thiswillleaveslurryclosertowhere it will ultimately be spread andcouldsave400-500km/yearintermsoftractorandtankerjourneys.

Attention-to-detail and an effectiveplanning and design stage to everydevelopmentmeansthatefficiencyandsimplicity isguaranteedandthefutureof this picturesque Co Offaly farm isbrightindeed.

“They are easy to clean... the nice precise edges on the mats meant that we could get them nice and flush with the concrete step between the cubicle rows.”

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The farm’s arable land grows mainlymaize and winter wheat. The SmithsmovedtoLowerCastleHayes in2000,having previously run a 100-cow herdon196acres.TheaffableandengagingMatthewisacutelyawareoftheneedtomaximisesystemefficiencyanditscleartovisitorsthatnothingonthisfarmisleftto chance. “We aim to do things rightand do things once”, jokes Matthew.Itscertainlyafarmwhereplanningandorganisationissecondtonone.

THEEASYFIXSOLUTION

TheattentiontodetailMatthewpracticesisevidentinthefarm’shousingfacilities.Inthenewshed,currentlybeingbuilt,hewillinstall76cowcubicleswithEASYFIXJupiterMattress&120ftEASYFIXfeed-lane matting. When asked about thedecisiontochooseEASYFIX,Matthewisforthright –and it’sobvious thatmuchresearchwasdonebeforethepurchase.“In 2011 we installed 250 EASYFIXdouble-foam mattresses into existingcubicles”, he said. “We had to cut outthe previous (non-EASYFIX) mats.Cows had been lying in the scraperalley.ButthefirstdaythenewEASYFIXmattresses went in, all the cows wentstraighttolaydowninthecubicles!IjustwishedI’dknownaboutthem,toputinwhentheshedwasdonefirst!”MatthewisfulsomeinhispraisefortheEASYFIXmattresses. “Cowcomfort is second tonone.Theyare alsoveryeasy to clean–whereasothermatswould let in 15%water and become a breeding-groundforbugs”.Thenewmatsarejustbrushedoffonceperdayandsawdustandlimeisapplied.Whenaskedaboutanyconswith the EASYFIX cow mattressesMatthew is definitive: “None, honestly!Wehavebeenveryhappywiththem–theonlythingwas,thatwewouldhave

installed the EASYFIX plastic cubiclesaswellifwehadknownaboutthematthetime”.

THESMITHSYSTEM-BREEDING

All calving on the Smiths farm takesplacefromJunetoDec.Breedingbeginson1stSept.Calvingisplannedtoachievemaximumreturn fromcowsduring thehigh-pricemilkmonths.“WearesupplingArla on a manufacturing milk contractwith a bonus for butter-fat and winterproduction”. The herd average calvinginterval is 400 days. Matthew explainsthat it would be less, but late calversallowedtosliparoundtoJune.“Weaimtohaveallcows50daysdry–wetriedless but some got too short” he said.“Mayisalsoagoodbreakbeforecalvingstartsforpeopletogetholidays.”

MatthewwilluseJerseyAIbullsthisyearonMOxFRcows,inordertobreedmorebutter-fat into the herd. The Smithsbreed all their own replacements tominimisediseaseandtogetacowbestsuitedtotheirsystem.Cowsarelastinglonger and the system is less hard onlarger cows since the Smiths startedcrossing the mainly Holstein herd withMontbelliarde5yearsago.“Wewantedtoputmorepowerandwill-to-livebackinto the cow. It was no fun comingout toa cowhavingdone the splits inthe passage. That’s not an issue withthe stronger, hardier, more surefootedMonty-cross”, explained Matthew. “Youcan’t spend all your time looking afterthecows.Theyneedtolookafteryou!”

Adesiretoincreasesolidsyieldwasalsoafactor inthedecisiontobreed intheMonty blood. “We are getting betterrewardednowforbutter-fat,soitmadesense.”WiththeswitchtoMontbelliardebulls,yieldsdroppedbackslightlyfrom

9,500 to 9,000l/head. But solids wereup. Herd average now stands at 3.5%protein,4.1%fat.TheuseofJerseybullsfor this year will further boost solidsproductionintheherddowntheline.

Milk recording is carriedoutwithNMRevery 6 weeks. This information isstudiedcarefullybyPhilipandMatthew

andbreedingdecisionsfollow.Cullingofcowsisusuallyduetoyield,feet,udders,fertility, SCC, or poor body condition.The Smiths make use of Sexed Sementoreducethenumberofdairybreedbullcalves.ConceptionrateswiththeSexedSemenaregood,at60%forheifersand50% for cows. Two Aberdeen Angusbullsare runwith theherd toclean-upafter AI. All bull and beef heifer calvesare sold to Blaine Beef. Heifers werepreviouslyB&B’doutforthewinterpriortobreeding.

However, in order to better manageconditionandfeet issuestheywillnowbehousedinthenewheifershedonsite.Dermyiscontrolledwith3dayssprayingandallcowsarefoot-bathed5eveningsperweek inaZinc,Copper&Formalinmixture.Allhoovesaretrimmedroutinelytwice per year to keep lameness to aminimum.

THE EASYFIX SOLUTION - COW COMFORT IS SECOND TO NONE

Matthew Smith farms the 560-acre Lower Castle Hayes Estate alongside his father Philip and mother Kath, close to Needwood, Burton-on-Trent. The company, Smith Farming Ltd, runs an impressive, mostly Holstein x Monteblliarde herd with 320 cows milking at peak.

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THESMITHSYSTEM-FEEDING

Simplicity is key to the success of theSmithsdiet.ATMRisfedtoallcowsviaaKeenan feeder.Nomeal is fed in theparlour. The only purchased feed fedonfarmistheproteinsupplement.Thispurchased protein generally comprises30% Soyabean Meal, 30% RapeseedMeal, 30% Distillers Grains and someSoya Hulls for fibre. The rest of thefeedisgrownonfarm,includingafive-cutgrasssilagecrop,maizesilageandcrimpedwheat.

TheSmithsaimtoachieveahighstarchsilageofabout34%fromthemaizeand12MJofME.“Wehadagreatyearin2016withthemaizeandachievedalltargetsbut it looksevenbetter thisyear” saidMatthew when we visited in August.“We are very reliant on the success ofthe 150-acre maize crop. We had twovery bad years in 2012 and 2013 andasaresult, inthewinterof2012/13thefeed bill for the cows over winter was£100,000”.

Maize is sown in mid-April. Key tosuccessfortheSmithsisgettingafineseedbed to get the seed in deep. Thisgives protection from any late frosts.TheotherfactorMatthewchangedoverthepasttwoyearswastodroptheseedratebackfrom45,000to40,000seedsper acre. This means less competitionfor nutrients, more light getting intothebaseofthecropoverthefirsttwomonths and ultimately a much betterchanceoftwogoodcobsperplantandStarch>30%.“Whenitworksoutaswellasthisyearandlastitmeansmuchlesspurchasedfeedsandafarlowerwinterfeedbillforthecows”.

100 acres of winter wheat is sownafter the maize in rotation. Wheat iscrimped with Maxammon, a urea &urease-basedadditive.Inearly2016,the

Smiths experienced problems with re-absorption and lower conception ratesintheherd.Thesourceoftheproblemwas traced to an ME deficiency whichwas solved by adding more protectedfatstothediet.ThankfullyforMatthew,withthebetterquality,higherMEmaizeandgrasssilageof2016and2017thisisnolongeraproblem.

TheSmith’sgrasssilageclampwasonlyhalffullwhenwevisitedinmid-summer.“Wearenowrelyingonthelatesummer/earlyautumnburstofgrowthtogiveusabulky5thcut”saidMatthew.Thesilageiscuton4-weekintervals.Alltheworkisdonebycontractor,harvesting200acin2days.

Following mowing with a conditionermower,thecropistedded,wilted,rakedand chopped. So far, 2017 quality hasbeenexcellent.Despitesomewhichwasmade in the fine weather this summerbeingexceptionallyhighDM(>50%), itpreservedperfectlybecauseitwasveryhigh in sugars. “The biggest problemwasthespoutblockingonthechopperduetotheamountofsugarinthegrass!”“Wearecurrentlycrossingthepitfacetwiceintheweeksothere’snotroublewith heating”. Grass silage tested at72.2%DValueand16.5%protein.Dueto

thehighdrymatter,5-6 litresofwaterhadtobeaddedtotheTMRmixpercow.Thisresultsinlesssortingoffeedbythecows:“whenit’stoodry,thegrainsdropout, so the added water gives a slightincreaseinintakes”.

FUTUREPLANS

“Arthur,ourveteranmilker isstill intheyardfor5ameverymorningformilking”explains Matthew. “But Arthur’s notgettinganyyoungeranditsharderandharder togetgood staff. ” TheSmithshave been considering a new parlourand have looked at the option ofinstalling robots. “Wehavealso lookedat the option of a robotic rotary andincreasingto500cows.”“Itwillallbeatleast3-4yearsdownthelineandtotallydependentontheprofitabilityofmilkaswegoforward”.

As for 2016, Matthew said that if theyhadexperienced6monthsmoreofbadprices where they were losing 6-7p/l,theywouldhavereallyhadtoquestiontheirfuturedirection.

“Onarentedfarmlikethis,ifyou’renotprofitable you’ll quickly end up out onyourear”,Mathewsurmised!

Other areas in which the Smiths arepushing the boundaries of efficiencyarerelatedtosoilnutrientmanagement.Maximum value is achieved frommanures via a separator for the slurry.Solids are kept for application to thearable land and the liquid fraction isstored in towers and applied to silagegroundaftereachcutat2,000gal/acre.

TheSmithsarealsoactiveparticipantsinthePathfindersDiscussionGroupviaArla.“Ifindthegroupgreatfordiscussionaroundpricingetc”saysMatthew.“Asaresultofthatdiscussionwewereabletoagreeapricetopayourcontractorpertonneforclampsilage”.

Whetherrobotsfeatureornot,what iscertainisthatthefutureisbrightfortheSmithfamilyonthisexcellentlyrunEastStaffordshirefarm!

“We wanted to put more power and will-to-live back into the cow. It was no fun coming out to a cow having done the splits in the passage”.

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ABUSYBUILDINGSCHEDULE

“We realised back in 2013 that it wastimetoeithergetbiggerandbetter,orgetout”explainedElwyn.“Andbreedingandmilkingtopqualitycowswaswhatweloveddoing,sowesaidlet’sstayatitanddoitright!”

Anewexpansiveandairycubiclehousewithparlouralongsidewasconstructedin 2015 to accommodate the growingherd,which increased50% innumbersoverthethreeyears.

186 head-to-head EASYFIX CowCubicles were installed on sand beds.“We had seen these flexible EASYFIXcubicles and been impressed by themonotherfarms.”“Weactuallycancelledtheorder for thesteelones”explainedElwyn. “I was sceptical at the time ofthe3’9”centre-to-centre spacing thatEASYFIXrecommendedforthecubicles.But in hindsight we are now verythankful for it. It certainly straighteneduptheawkwardcowswhousedtotrytoliesidewaysinthewidersteelones.

TheseEASYFIXcubiclesflextoalmost4’anywayandthesafetyofthemisgreatpieceofmindforus.Whenyouhaveasmuchbreedinggoneintoyourpedigreestock as we have – the last thing youwanttofindofamorningisatopcoworheiferstuckinasteelcubicle!”“Look–evenwiththeEASYFIXcubiclesyou’llget the odd cow that will try to pushher way through the head-to-heads,butusuallytheywillgostraightthrough– and the important thing is that theydon’tinjurethemselves”.

The shed is split with dividing gatesinto three sections: 1 for the highyieldinggroup, 1 for the lowsand 1 fortheheifers.Cowsexit throughanalleyin themiddlebayof theshed into the

adjacentparlour.AnewDairymaster16-unit swing-over, rapid exit parlour wasinstalledatthesametimeastheshedin2015.TheThomas’installedalltheextrasto ensure smooth flow of cows and aspeedy milking process. That includedAutomaticClusterRemovers,abackinggateandanAuto-IDe-tagreaderwhichcan control the auto-drafting gate tosegregatecowsforAI.

“Isupposethecowswouldbethebestjudge of how well the parlour works”saysElwyn.“Theygoinandoutofherewithnofuss–thereisnolooingornoiseand cows are contented and chewing.We can now milk the 215 cows in lessthan2hours”.EASYFIXMilkingParlourMats were also installed. “It gives thecows great comfort and leaves themmore relaxed when entering or exitingtheparlour.They’renotafraidofasliporaninjuryandneitherarewe!”

Elwyn also installed the EASYFIXSoftFloormatsforthemilker inthepittogivemaximumoperatorcomfort.

ANOVELDESIGN

Theefficientandwell-planneddesignofthenew12-baycubicleshedwasElwyn’sbrainchild. Two 20-foot wide, fully-roofed feed passages flank either sideof the cow area. Within the cow areaaretworowsofhead-to-headcubicleswithwidefeedlanesateitherside.Thereis plenty of room for cows to pass bybehind those eating at the feed-face,withoutanypushingorshunting.Elwyninstalled 480ft of EASYFIX feed-lanematting to provide maximum comfortforcowsatthefeed-face.Onthesouth-west side of the shed, Elwyn erectedan Intershape electric windbreakerscreen than can be raised or lowered

depending on the weather conditionsand the air-flow required through theshed.Additionalclear-lightsheetswerefittedintheroofonthesouthwestsideto maximise the daylight in the shed.“If we were building it again, the onlything we would change would be toraisetheheel-stoneofthecubiclesbyacoupleofinches”saidElwyn.It’salittlebit lownow,especiallywiththerubbermattinginthefeedlanes.Itmeansmoresandcomesoutofthecubiclesthanwewouldlike”.Otherwise,theonlychangetheThomas’plantomake,isapossible4-bayextensiontotheadjacentparlourshed,whichwouldhouseanewcalvingarea,bringingallcowhousingtogetherin one compact unit. This would alsoallow Elwyn to completely bird-proofthecubiclehouse,usingnettingat theridge overshoot and around the gableenddoors.

Cow lanes in the shed are scraped toa lagoon twice a day during milkingswith a skid-steer. Sand in the cubiclesis toppeduponceperweek. “Wefindthatcowlamenessandinjuryproblemshavebeenalmosteliminatedinthenewshed–thanksmainlytothecubiclesandthe EASYFIX rubber mats” explainedElwyn. Cows are also walked througha footbath mix of lincospectin andformalin,5eveningsperweek.

HERDHUSBANDRY

“Call me old fashioned, but I couldn’tgo to a milking robot – I like workingwith and handling cows – it’s why I’min the job” said an animated Elwyn. “Ispendalotoftimeherewiththecowsand I enjoy it. There is so much thatyou won’t see with a robot!” And youcanseewhyElwynfeelsthisway–cowhusbandry is his strong point and keytohisbreedingselectiondecisions.Thisdoesn’tmeanthatheistechnologyshy

Upon entering the farmyard of Elwyn & Cheryl Thomas, the visitor instantly recognises the workplace of a family who take enormous pride in their dairy operation. lwyn&hiswifeCheryl farmclosetoKidwelly insouthCarmarthenshire. As well as the Thomas family –includingdaughterAnwen(14)–thisfarmisalsohometotherenowned215-strongGelligatrogpedigreeHolsteinFriesianherd.

Everythinginthis200-acrefarmisorganised,tidyandwell-appointedwithnoshortageofcleanconcreteandgalvanized steel about the yard. Elwyn & Cheryl haveinvested heavily in this impressive Meadow Foodssupplyingdairyfarmoverthepastthreeyears.

EFFICIENT AND WELL-PLANNED DESIGN AT GELLIGATROG

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though.TheThomas’nowuseanAltacow watch collar – monitoring heatandrumination.Ittendstopickup4-5cows in heat every week that Elwynwould have missed before – and Ispend a lot of time in here with thecows–“faffingabout”hesays!

AllAIisdoneDIYbyElwynwithcowsservedtwice/day.All low-yieldersarebredtoBBwithaLimousinstockbullcleaningup.

Milk recording is carried out by CISonce/month. Bulls are selected (andcowsculled)primarilyonudders,feet,milkcomponentsandfunctionality.

Allcowsgrazeoutside for4-5hoursin good weather. Low yielders areoutfor4-5hoursgrassperdayMar-Nov.Duringthesummertheyget2/3ofwinterration,fedonceperdaybyTMR.Nomealisfedintheparlour.

High yielders typically average 37l/dwithtopcowsproducing55l/d.Theseare fed twiceperdaywithaTMR. “Imay consider a feeding robot” saysElwyn, “but not feed bunkers, ashavingtocleanoutwouldbeanextrajob”.

The TMR generally consists of highquality grass silage, whole-crop springwheatsilageormaize,plusSoyaHulls&

ration. Silage is cut 3-4 times/year. TheTMRispusheduptocows5timesperday.“Idon’tlikeafloorclean”saysElwyn.Overspillgoestotheyoungstock.

“Breeding and milking top quality cows was what we loved doing, so we said let’s stay at it and do it right!”

“One of the greatest benefits of thenew shed has been being able tomanage the heifers as one separategroup” he explained. They are fedtwice/dayonthesameregimeasthehighyieldingcowgroup.“It’sledtoawhole lot less bullying and hardshipontheheifers,havingthemsperatetothecows.Wecannowcalfthemat26months.Previouslyitwouldhavebeen30months”.

PEDIGREESALES

TheThomas’sell30pedigreeHFbullsand60-70heiferseveryyear.“Wesellthem from the yard generally”. Withanaveragelactationyieldof10,000Land 55L/day top yields, combinedwith the reputation for excellent

breeding and stockmanship, theThomas’ don’t need to do much inthewayofadvertising.However,theystill like to attend 4-5 shows in theyear with cows, competing in placessuch as Fishguard, Shepton Mallet,South Pembrokeshire Co Show, etc.Cheryloftentakescareoftheshowingand daughter Anwen is also keen topartake, recentlywinningtheYoung-Handlers Class at the Royal WelshShowin2017.

“ThisisascleanandtidyayardasI’vestoodinforalongtime”IcomplimentElwyn as I prepare to go. “And whyshouldn’t it be?” he asks, almosttaken aback; “We are producingfood after all!” And that sums upthe straightforward, no-nonsenseapproachtheThomasFamilytaketothejoboftop-qualitymilkproductionandexcellenceinbreeding!

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Previously,theClarkesran2x150cowunits, but in 2015, the decision wasmade to consolidate the operationto the yard at the home farm. “Weneededtoreplacetheparlourandanoldstrawyardhere,soGilesdecidedtomakebestuseoftheextrainvestmentby bringing the two herds togetherfor simpler, better, more efficientmanagement” explained Jeremy. ByChristmas2015thenew11-baycubiclehousewasreadyforfitting-outandtheClarkeschoseEASYFIXCowCubiclesanddouble-foammattressesforthejob.

Asked how the switch from strawand sand to EASYFIX cubicles andmattresses is judged now two yearson, the response is instant: “Brilliant- We are delighted with them!” saysJeremy. “The cows are exceptionallycomfortable in them and we havenoticedahugedropinSCCcomparedto previously”. The cubicle house isscrapedtwice-a-dayintoanewslattedtank and so sand wasn’t an option.“Thesandbillhasreducedsignificantlyandwealsogotanextra6-7cubiclesinto that shed versus what we wouldhavefitinusingtheoldsteelcubicle”.

The Clarkes are very happy with the3’9” centre to centre spacing thattheEASYFIXcubiclesare installedat:“They flex to four foot, so it’s not anissueatallforourbiggercows”.Infact,the Clarkes now prioritise the bigger,older cows to the new shed with theEASYFIXcubicles, inordertoprolongtheirlifespanintheherd.“Wedokeepalotofbiggercowsandhadlostacowstuck in a steel cubicle back in 2014so having seen the EASYFIX productat various shows, it was the obvioussolutiontous”.

EASEOFFITTING

“You’d have to say the name doesn’tlie – it couldn’t have been easier;”jokes Jeremy, when asked about theprocess of fitting the 105 cubiclesand mattresses - which he says hecompetedbyhimself inafewhours-despiteasoreheadafteraReaseheathYoung-Farmers night out! Jeremyrecently completed his 3-year courseat the Agricultural College where hereceived great practical training, ahectic social life and an introductionto EASYFIX cow products. “Gettingthepostsfitaccuratelyandgoodandsquare is the most important part –afterthatit’sverysimple”.

The Clarkes were instantly impressedwith the improvements in cowperformance and comfort on therubber. In fact, they were so pleasedthat in 2016 they installed another20 EASYFIX cubicles beside thenew parlour, for fresh, lame and anyantibioticcows.“Welimethecubiclesusingadispenserontheloadall3timesper week. Lime is mixed with wastepaper.Wepreviouslyusedsawdustbutitwaspronetoblowaroundtoomuchsowefindthenewspaperbetter”.

MANAGINGAPRODUCTIVEROLLINGHERD

“We keep mostly Holstein X cowsherewithafewMontbelliardecrossesalso.Wealsokeepa few larger,milkyFriesians.Welikethebiggercowhere,Gileswouldhavefoundthatthesmallercowdoesn’ttendtolastaslongintheherd”.

Last year the Clarkes herd averaged9,500Lona305-daylactation.Thelowmilkpricein2016wasthecatalystthatdroveGilestochangeovertoaFeed-

to-Yieldsystemthroughtheparlour.“Itinstantlysavedusatonneofcornadayaswellasanincreaseinyields.”

Afterconsolidatingthetwoherdsintoonein2015,theClarkesletthenewly-merged system bed-down in 2016,beforeincreasingcownumbersby100in2017.ArollingherdismaintainedatLongshawFarm.Jeremyexplains;“Wedid rear heifers here before, but we’dprefer to milk more cows now, ratherthan devote land to young stock.”Replacementsarepurchasedatauctioneitherasheifersorsecond-calvers.TheClarkesarerunningenoughcowsnowfor the land-base and management.“We could increase numbers furtherbutitwouldbeattheexpenseofamorecomplicatedmanagementsystem”

TherollingherdmeansthatallcowsarebredtoBelgianBlueAIbulls.CowsonheatareservedbytheGenustechnicianonceaday.TheClarkeshavehadgoodresults using the short gestation BBbullsandhavereceivedtoppricesforcalves.

“The EASYFIX Cubicles were so easily fit – even with a sore head after a Reaseheath Young-Farmers night out!”

SWITCHING FROM A STRAW AND SAND BASED SYSTEM TO EASYFIX

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Staffordshire farmer Giles Clarke & his son Jeremy run an impressive 400 cow operation at Longshaw Farm close to Leek. Managing450acresof rollingcountrysidewestofthePeakDistrict,thesoiltypeismainlyaheavyclayandgettingcowsormachineryouton the land isonlyanoptionfromApril–October.

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ASIMPLEDIET

The introduction of the Electronic IDtagging and the in-parlour Feed-to-Yieldsystemcamealongwiththenewparlourinstallationin2016.“Combiningthe two herds, Giles was very awareof needing to keep management assimpleaspossibleandfeedingall thegrainthroughtheparlourallowedthat;”explainedJeremy.

Silage is cut on a 4-weekly intervalover the summer; typically testing at78-80dmd.TheKeenanPACE systemusedtokeepcontrolofthesimplemixof good quality wheaten straw andgrasssilage. “Keep itSimpleStupid isourmottowhenitcomestodietshere!”Themixisfedbywagononceperdayandpushedup3to4timesperday.

The Clarkes did trial Zero-Grazingat one point, but it was a short-livedexperience:“Look–itworkedperfectlyindryweather,butoncewegotarunofwetweatheritwasadisaster!”“Thelandwasbeingruinedbymuckingandcompaction, and all we got into theyardfromitwaswetmuckandgrass.”“Yields really fell off a cliff with thevariabilityinthequalityandmoistureinthegrass.I’msureithasaplaceindrierregions,butwiththerainwegethereitwasanon-runner”;Jeremysurmised.

The low-yielding group of cows doget out to grass between April andOctober but in wetter periods of thesummer they have had to be housedduetopoorgroundconditions.

The Clarkes have sown Supercuttetraploid mixtures as well as over-sowing Italian Ryegrass on a 5-yearrotation on the silage ground inrecentyears.“WehaveusedaGuttlerGreenmaster for the over-sowing.The spring tines and heavy roller onthe seeder allow for good soil-seedcontact”.

NEWINFRASTRUCTURE

Theparlourinstalledin2016wasaATL24-unit swing-over.Twopeopleare inthepitformilking,generallyJess&Phil.The parlour features all the bells andwhistles including automatic clusterremoversandauto-wash-down.

TheClarkesarecurrentlyintheprocessof replacing an old straw-yard witha new 6-bay cubicle house. This willfurther reduce the need for bought-in straw and reduce the workloadinvolved in bedding. “At that stage,wewillthenhavejustthecalvingshedstraw-bedded which will be a hugetime-saving”saysJeremy.Theexpenseof sand purchase and handling hasalso reduced considerably with theinstallation of the EASYFIX double-foammattresses.

In addition to the new shed, thehardworking, and ever-innovativeClarkes have a new 80kw Anaerobic-digesterinthepipeline.“Wearelookingforward to it” says Jeremy. “It will beused forbeddingand slurryonly,but

it should reduce the volume of slurrywe have to spread as well as givingusbetterNitrogenefficiencyfromthedigestate”.

TheClarkeshaveusedadribble-barforslurryspreadingforthepast18months.“It’sasuperjob!MyselfandJordandotheslurryhereandwecouldn’tbelievethedifferenceingrassgrowthfromtheextraNgettingtothegrassroots!”

AFAMILYBUSINESS

Keeping the business runningsmoothlyasthegenerationspassbyisachallengeforanyfamilyfarmbuttheClarkesaremanagingitwell.“KeepingontopofthepaperworkisabigjobforthisfarmespeciallyaswearesupplyingaTescocontract”explainsJeremy.Thepeace of mind brought by the stableprice of the Tesco contract is a bighelp.“AndGileshasbeenabletostayoutofmyhairandconcentratealmostfull-timeonthebook-workrecently”hejokes.Afootinjuryseveralmonthsbackrestricted the time Giles could spendabout the yard but with the hard-working and positive attitude shownbythenextgeneration,heshouldhavenoworriesbutthatLongshawFarmisin very safehandsuntil his full returntoaction!

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BEEF & DAIRY LIVESTOCK HOUSING SOLUTIONS · Rubber System. Launched in 1996, EASYFIX Slat Rubber is still our No.1 selling product and is sold to beef, dairy and veal farmers in 40