The Rural Voice, 1994-06, Page 35Promat Ltd. keeps cows comfortable, healthy
Stand on a concrete floor for a
few hours and you'll gain a
new sympathy for the
conditions dairy cows routinely live
in.
And the problem for cows is not
just in the standing, it's in the lying
down. At a meeting sponsored by
the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food (before the Rural Affairs
came along) two years ago, animal
behaviorists, veterinarians and
agricultural engineers informed
people in the dairy equipment
businesses about the problems of
design for new dairy barns, of stalls
that are too small and generally
uncomfortable for cattle.
Also revealed was the fact that
in the pasture, cows normally lie
down 16-18 hours a day. In a stall,
cattle only lie down eight to 12
hours a day. Cows kept on
concrete year round can suffer
swollen hocks and joints and
abrasions on legs.
"It's not a good condition," says
Doug Young, Sales Manager for
Promat Ltd. of Seaforth and one of
those present at that OMAF
meeting.
"Cows have a peculiar way of
lying down. They crash the last six
to eight inches. If they're falling
onto concrete or hard rubber, it can
cause trauma. If they're lying in a
natural environment they don't have
a problem."
Promat invented a solution,
multi -celled bags filled with rubber
that provide a soft, but stable floor
in stalls. It's called Pasture Mat.
The mat is installed right over the
normal stall floor. Each mat
contains the equivalent amount of
rubber crumb from 10 passenger
car tires inside 12 cells. The
material won't rot, it's not
biodegradable. The rubber crumbs
are injected into the cells and won't
migrate or move around.
"The Pasture Mats have the
deadening effect of sod," says
Young. "The energy is stored and
given back to the cow when it lies
down, like a trampoline. It's not like
lying on concrete or sand."
Experience of those farmers
using the new Pasture Mats shows
remarkable results, Young says.
Swollen hocks will go away in
seven days. There are incidents of
noticeable increases in milk
production when the mats are used
over hard rubber or concrete
surfaces. After a month using
Pasture Mats several farmers have
remarked how much more time
their cows spend lying down. For
older cows, the mats can ease
rheumatism. For heifers, confined
to stalls for the first time, the mats
can cure "dumb heifer disease".
where cattle injure themselves
trying to find out how to safely lie
down in their new environment.
In experiments where only some
stalls in a barn were equipped
with Pasture Mats it was found
cows always occupied the stalls
with the mats, and were reluctant to
give them up.
Promat Ltd. developed the
prototype in May 1992. The mats
went on the market in January
1993. There are 50-60 dealers
nationwide selling the product.0
FfM
PASTURE
THE ULTIMATE IN
COW COMFORT
• Cows spend up to 14 times longer Tying in stalls than
with solid rubber mats.
• 48" x 66" x 1 1/2" multi -cell poly mattress filled with
uniformed size rubber crumbs.
• Mat is protected by a tough top wear skin.
• Components will not tear, stretch, deform or lose shape.
• Installs on top of your existing stall base.
• Reduces impact -related injuries.
• Can use bedding material on top for hygienic purposes.
THE ONLY COW MAT THAT
FEELS, GIVES &
BEHAVES LIKE NATURAL
PASTURE
For your nearest dealer, call collect:
PRO/MAT/LTD
(519) 527-0397
SEAFORTH, ONT.
JUNE 1994 31