Why haven’t dairy farmers been told these facts about stand off pads?
Did you know you can avoid spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on off pasture stand-off solutions and still provide a comfortable, easy to maintain stand-off pad for your cows?
If you have a concrete yard outside your dairy shed you can install some rubber matting to it and then use it as a standoff pad. Farmers are then able to stand off a large portion of their herd for extended periods during wet weather. The rubber matting makes it more comfortable for cows to stand or lie down on for longer periods of time. It is also less slippery so your cows will feel confident moving around.
How many times in recent years have you had to make the choice between ruined pasture or lame cows? And how many times have you weighed the cost of building a stand-off pad or feed pad, but found it to be too high?
Dairy NZ says “A stand-off pad is a purpose-built, drained loafing area where stock can be held for long periods when it is not suitable to have them on pasture.”
Chances are your existing concrete yard is already drained and fenced suitably so the only problem is that it is concrete which is uncomfortable for cows to stand on for long periods of time. Usually, stand off pads are made with a gravel foundation and then a thick layer of wood chip some other surface material on top to make it more comfortable for cows. Installing quality rubber matting to your existing concrete yard gives you a great surface that you can utilise as a stand-off area for part of your herd. How many you can standoff on the yard will depend on the size of the area covered in rubber matting.
Cow lameness and great expense can be avoided with rubber matting on your standoff pad
Quality rubber matting provides a very comfortable surface for cows to stand on. It is non slip and much easier to maintain than other surface materials for standoff pads. Rubber matting can be easily hosed down and it will last for many years as long as you choose a quality product. Numat’s rubber matting for Standoff pads comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Hundreds of farms have already been doing this by installing rubber matting on their existing concrete yard.
Benefits of stand-off pads
- Less pugging of paddocks, and better production- as a result
- Better management of nutrients
- Better pasture management by extending rotation
- Prevent cows lying down on paddocks instead of feeding
What dairy farmers have learned about the efficient use of existing concrete surfaces
As many dairy farmers have now discovered – if you install purpose-made rubber matting on your yard, you get a fully compliant stand-off pad for a fraction of the cost of building a new stand-off pad. In most cases, the effluent management system is already built into the yard – so the expense of a new effluent system is avoided.
Improve farm performance 5x
Installing rubber matting on your yard provides you with a long-term stand-off pad – but it does much more than that… Consider the improved comfort for your cows at milking time – leading to faster flow and shorter milking times. Then there is the ease of cleaning that rubber has over concrete – reducing the time and water it takes for clean-up. And, by adding rubber matting to your yard, you extend the life of the concrete by up to 50 years.
Case study
Henry Schipper installed Numat rubber matting on his yard in Kopaurahi in 2010, after major issues with pugging in wintertime.
In the past, Henry had used other options including sawdust pads, but they would become mucky and cause leaching, which was no longer a viable solution.
With an issue at hand, they began looking into other options for standing off. Building a whole new pad would have been a big cost, so they decided to utilize their yard. To do so, they needed to address the concrete surface as Henry felt putting the cows on concrete, day in and day out, was not a feasible option long-term. That’s why he chose to put Numat rubber matting down.
With over 20 years of experience in rubber surfacing, we have the knowledge to recommend the right rubber mat for your yard.
Talk to the team at Numat to get the right rubber matting for your yard call 0800 686 119