Calving on to sand

[Bald Rick]

Job for this week is to construct 6 calving boxes within the transition shed bedded with sand in an effort to eliminate as much disease transfer from the TS to calf unit.

Question: how deep to bed?

Anyone doing this, is there any issues with sand grains getting in to calf’s eyes?

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

Six inch deep. Never known a problem with sand on calves, cows lick them clean. Need to keep on top of cleaning out muck and afterbirths every day. Shovel it out into a wheelbarrow, skid steer bucket or loader bucket along with any wet bits and rake it back clean and level.

Try and keep sand off your hands and the calving jack & ropes when in the pen calving a cow.

 

[Rossymons]

Will 6 boxes be enough for the number you're putting though?

 

[lazy farmer]

Did over 2000 cows on it. We use straw now. Would never go back to it.

 

[Bald Rick]

Did over 2000 cows on it. We use straw now. Would never go back to it.

Why?

 

[WillM]

I did it for a few years. Tried all sorts, sand, mattresses, sand and straw, limestone and sand....

Sand wasn’t a great success. Takes ALOT to maintain. Constant cleaning When the cow calves, and all the amniotic fluids and such, needs shoveling out by hand and topping up. Then the cow stumbles over the bucket of warm water / drench you have prepared for her.....

No real problem with / for the calf though.

I now calve onto horse stable mattresses topped up with limestone and hose it down after each calving.

 

[Grassman247]

Put 700 through sand one year, after never having any E. coli we end up with 15 cows getting it. Ripped it all out and went back to straw

 

[pappuller]

Job for this week is to construct 6 calving boxes within the transition shed bedded with sand in an effort to eliminate as much disease transfer from the TS to calf unit.

Question: how deep to bed?

Anyone doing this, is there any issues with sand grains getting in to calf’s eyes?

Thought you'd put some mats down to calve on sometime ago Ricky ?
Or are you just keeping the grey matter supple thinking of ideas ?

 

[Pigken]

What about matting? Can be washed and disinfected between cows?

 

[Milkcow365]

What about matting? Can be washed and disinfected between cows?

Rickster been there done that

 

[Grazer]

I put 6 inch or so of sand down in every loose bedded pen before I start with straw. Calving pens and young stock. Keeps everything drier. Don't muck out again until end of calving, so 9 weeks or so later. My sand if free. Mastitis is good, or lack of. Not quite what your asking, but there you go.

 

[wdah/him]

how does the matting work, is it at a slight slope for run off and lift the dung then a bit of dust or lime. was thinking of it here but would have liked a few other opinions or users views. currently on straw and think there could be less labour with cubile mats

 

[Bald Rick]

Thought you'd put some mats down to calve on sometime ago Ricky ?
Or are you just keeping the grey matter supple thinking of ideas ?

We had to take out the original pens when the bots went to make way for cubicles

currently cows, being jerseys and therefore not needing interference, calve in the transition shed which is fine during the day but not so good at night so anything showing signs of nesting, we want to separate and thinking of a neutral media in the pens but may put the mats back if we can find them. I suspect that they got trashed