Leveler for sand bedded cubicles

[glow worm]

I've seen a thread on here back in 2017 re levelers for sand cubicles but does anyone have more up to date info please? The ones I've seen look as though they have a static rake that drags through the uneven pits in the sand but some seem to make quite deep furrows, maybe digging up underlying stone. I'm sure I've seen a rotating version somewhere that scatters the top layer rather than digging deep into it. Any thoughts on this please?
I also saw on the 2017 thread that many currently on sand would be moving to mattresses as soon as they could. Whilst fully agree sand is challenging! both in price, work and in the slurry, we have found that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Our vet loves it as each cow often kicks a little bit into the scrap passage getting up, giving non slip concrete just behind the bed. We had a well know carpet mat many years ago, very fashionable at the time, but it was absolutely lethal, so slippery, no matter how much sawdust you used. Heifers taking to cubicles has been transformed since using sand to the point that we never even think of it as an issue now when introducing cubicles to them.

 

[Serup]

It’s not of much help, but i made my own in 2016. It’s a 100x100mm beam that levels sand to the edge of the beds. We use it once a week before topping up with more sand.
I boughts my own slurry mixer for my storage tanks and get all sand out with enough effort on this.

 

[white_stuffed]

I remembered seeing this at The Dairy Event a couple of years ago

 

[kill]

The ultimate sand leveller has to be the HMI Bed buster 5000 as it’s like a small off set power Harrow for a skid steer.

I am currently thinking of making something loader mounted for my sand beds for raking and levelling but still in design process.

 

[Horn&corn]

We’re on deep sand at £22/t it mounts up. It also destroys our pump and fill our earth bank lagoon which is going to be very expensive to remove when we finally decide to get back to original capacity.
on the other hand we have scc at 100, bacto in single figures and no mastitis. We also have basically no injured cows from slipping in the yard.
we use an old furrow press arm side mounted on the scraper tractor with a couple of tines. Up and back and it’s done at the same time as scraping. Rs would have sold us the kit to make existing arm into rotor but decided much more likely to get hit and not necessary. One chap I heard of side mounted powerharrow and now doesn’t bother making tines spin as not necessary.
we would like to make a better Overall cubicle system But can’t think what that would be So won’t be changing yet.

 

[Horn&corn]

 

[glow worm]

The ultimate sand leveller has to be the HMI Bed buster 5000 as it’s like a small off set power Harrow for a skid steer.

I am currently thinking of making something loader mounted for my sand beds for raking and levelling but still in design process.

Like the sound of that! Pse tell us all about it if you complete the project

 

[Horn&corn]

Nooooooo
Scraper tractor costs next to nothing to run. Jcb Loader Is £9/hr in depreciation alone then fuel tyres and servicing. 150hp is a bit much for moving some sand! Jcb also very busy to do this twice a day.
big farm south of here with lots of cows. milks 4x day. Runs with self propelled slurry sucker, sand rake on big pivot jcb then top up sand with Big self propelled sand Dispenser. Running costs on that lot would be epic

 

[vantage]

Jesus! I just use a rake, recommended by @jimmer for 250 beds, clean and move a small amount of sand at each collection for milking.

 

[Beef farmer]

Jesus! I just use a rake, recommended by @jimmer for 250 beds, clean and move a small amount of sand at each collection for milking.

I just rake any dung out, maybe 10/300 beds and walk away. Top up every week/10 days.
Rather sit by the fire than on a tractor leveling sand for cows to dig out. Leveling beds will be up there for marginal liters

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Just out of interest how much sand per head does everyone use over winter and what's the favourite method for putting sand in cubicles without spending a fortune on a fancy machine?
Sorry to stray from original post

 

[Boysground]

Garden rakes here. Just bought a few more £25each from Amazon. They just carry one as they push the cows out, or somebody else runs down the lines.

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[vantage]

Just out of interest how much sand per head does everyone use over winter and what's the favourite method for putting sand in cubicles without spending a fortune on a fancy machine?
Sorry to stray from original post

16 tons a week, for 240 cubicles. Ag dispenser, with the bottom slide removed, put sand in once, maybe twice a week.

 

[DairyGrazing]

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