Heifers wont lie in cubicles

[BobbySusie]

I built outdoor cubicles, and on friday I let the 60 Jex in-calf heifers in. They had been on slats for a week before hand in the yard of the guy I bought them off. This is the second week they are housed.
Any way, when I let them in they were standing in cubicles, but not a single one has laid in the cubicles. The are brand new super loop cubicles with 50mm mat.
They are 100 times better than lying on the concrete.

They are due to calve in 10 weeks and I want to start using lime in the cubicles for sanitary reasons etc.

Any ideas. I'm able to shut them out of the slatted feed area, will I shut them out for the night? and see will they lie on the cubicles.

 

[supercow]

Put some cake in front of the cubicles ? It might at least get them standing in them

 

[BobbySusie]

Put some cake in front of the cubicles ? It might at least get them standing in them

I have no issue getting them standing in. They all stood in on friday night for 5-10 mins and then got out.

 

[Spudley]

When we train our heifers we don't scrape the passages for a few days, let them get really dirty but make sure the cubicles are lovely and clean with bedding in. Then once they start lying in I make the scrapers go a lot (constantly) to move along any that sit in the passage.

 

[Scholsey]

Put a load of straw on the cubicles, something they are familiar lying on. A few round bales rolled out and forked in by hand, surprising how little time it takes.

 

[Beef farmer]

Put a roof in the cubicles? Sorry couldn't resist.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Can you put any dry cows that are cubicle trained in there for a few days? We find that heifers soon get the hang of it when they see others lying down. Also - you said you want to start using lime (future tense) is there anything on top of the mattresses at present?

 

[Llmmm]

I built outdoor cubicles, and on friday I let the 60 Jex in-calf heifers in. They had been on slats for a week before hand in the yard of the guy I bought them off. This is the second week they are housed.
Any way, when I let them in they were standing in cubicles, but not a single one has laid in the cubicles. The are brand new super loop cubicles with 50mm mat.
They are 100 times better than lying on the concrete.

They are due to calve in 10 weeks and I want to start using lime in the cubicles for sanitary reasons etc.

Any ideas. I'm able to shut them out of the slatted feed area, will I shut them out for the night? and see will they lie on the cubicles.

The best way to train heifers if the passages have slats animals hate the draught and will lie anywhere but the slats

 

[BobbySusie]

Put a roof in the cubicles? Sorry couldn't resist.

Ha, Ha, Ha Half of the beds are covered and its really sheltered. I have steelwork up to roof it. Hopefully when I get a few milk checks I'll roof it.
I have no issue with the concept of topless/outdoor cubicles at all. As long cows are comfortable and access to shelter I think its fine. My cows have access to a roofed area to eat.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Cake and loads of bedding.
If it's straw they are used to start with that.

On a related note, have a read up on teat sealing maiden hfrs. May be something to consider.

 

[valtraman]

Somebody told me other day block up ends of passage with box muck and then flood passages with water. Says they won’t lie in water so lie in cubicles

 

[Wee Willy]

With open top cubicles,no matter what you bed with, will it not turn into wet sh!t when it rains? I imagine lime will be of soup consistency.

 

[multi power]

With open top cubicles,no matter what you bed with, will it not turn into wet sh!t when it rains? I imagine lime will be of soup consistency.

And it will burn

 

[More to life]

With open top cubicles,no matter what you bed with, will it not turn into wet sh!t when it rains? I imagine lime will be of soup consistency.

I’ve no experience but I’d always imagined you don’t need them at all

 

[som farmer]

we put stones where cow's lie out of cubicles, bit of a fuss, but works. For inside cubicles, we lost an end cubicle side. We found some non-liers would lie in there, again, no obvious reason, but we have 2 '1' sided cubicles now, and a lot of cows, lie in now, which never used too. Hard explain to red tractor though,

 

[BobbySusie]

I put straw on top of cubicles last night and locked them in cubicle area. When i went over this morning 15 of them where happy out in the cubicles the rest where lying on the ground.
I'll do that for the rest of the week and see can I get more numbers lying down.

Re lime on cubicles. A neighbour has 460 cows on outdoor cubicles. He uses lime from December on. Applied daily on small amounts seems to work. He is anal about keeping the cubicles clean.

 

[som farmer]

i'm certain out door cubicles will come under red tractor scrutiny, via s/mkt 'objections'. And then, will be banned, no real science, but doesn't 'look' good.

 

[Blue.]

i'm certain out door cubicles will come under red tractor scrutiny, via s/mkt 'objections'. And then, will be banned, no real science, but doesn't 'look' good.

Are there any in the Uk ? The op is in Ireland.

 

[som farmer]

Are there any in the Uk ? The op is in Ireland.

yes, it's one of the new ways to keep costs down, remember going to see some from college, early 70's, so not that new, nor good enough to catch on either then, or now.

 

[BobbySusie]

yes, it's one of the new ways to keep costs down, remember going to see some from college, early 70's, so not that new, nor good enough to catch on either then, or now.

The sole reason i have gone with no roof is cost. I'm converting from a loss making suckler farm to spring block calving dairy. Cost of conversion listed below. All labour done at mates rates, I took a month off work too.

Parlour 8 unit, can be extended to 12 €2500
Milk tank 4000l incl installation €3800
Concrete €3000
Electrics €2000
Precast cubicles and steel €10,000
Slats €3500
Labour €2000

No extras, no frills, I bought a 2nd scraper for tractor for €150.
I sold most of my suckler cows and other stock to buy 60 in calf heifers.
My plan was to spend 30k to get in, and reinvest as I go.

I will roof cubicles next year, I have 50% of the steel up to do that.