Cow-Friendly “Slat Mats” Improve Footing, Cleanliness

Cow-Friendly “Slat Mats” Improve Footing Cleanliness FARM HOME Lawn Mowers 31h 38 Your cows will like this new type of floor mat that clips over the top of concrete slats to create a more comfortable surface for your cattle says Shane Schechinger of NextGen Group LLC in Harlan Iowa Developed in Ireland “Slat Mats” are made from virgin engineering grade plastic They’re designed to clip over the top of concrete slats with a spring-loaded gripping system which helps them stay in place and provides the cattle with a softer surface with more “give” to walk on The mats have a smooth curve on top that diverts manure to the gaps between floor slats resulting in a cleaner dryer and healthier animal says the company “Slat Mats are made from 3 different materials - a durable outer skin soft interior core and a rigid base - that results in a soft mat with a good grip Cattle gain traction through compression of the mat’s interior core so there’s no need to have a texture on the outer skin which keeps the mats clean and dry ” says Schechinger “Most other livestock floor mats are made of a single rubber material which is hard and mainly flat The curved surface of our mat allows manure and urine to drop into the pit quickly which results in a cleaner dryer floor that helps keep animals clean Because of the cleaner floor cattle are confident in their ability to rise or lie on the mats so feeding frequency is increased and resting ability improved significantly ” Slat Mats are available in 3 different mat designs depending on the weight of the cattle “The beef and dairy mat is best for 600 lbs plus; the backgrounding or pink veal mat is for 300 to 700-lb animals; and the calf mat is for 100 to 400-lb animals ” says Schechinger “Mat sizes range from just over 4 1/2 in to 8 in wide and are compatible with some slats presently made in the U S ” The mats are custom-designed for each customer’s barn and the company provides a special tool to install them “We measure cut and notch all mats before they’re delivered so there shouldn’t be any waste when you’re done installing them ” says Schechinger Slat Mats are available in both green and white They retail for $9 50 per sq ft Contact: FARM SHOW Followup NextGen Group LLC 623 RD M47 Harlan Iowa 51537 ph 844 752-8628; sales@next-gen-group com; www next-gen-group com

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