Parlour Exit

[Big_D]

On with improving the parlour exit this week, will post some photos of progress. Working out levels at the moment, would people think a 2% run would be good to make the floor easy washed whilst providing a good walking surface for cows?

 

[Tarw Coch]

On with improving the parlour exit this week, will post some photos of progress. Working out levels at the moment, would people think a 2% run would be good to make the floor easy washed whilst providing a good walking surface for cows?

You don’t need a lot of fall for water to run off allthough in such a situation the fall is usually determined for you by where you need to start and finish.
Rubber matting is a good walking surface, pattern pressed concrete can be good for grip but there’s nowt wrong with just plain concrete with a brushed finish if carborundum dust is added to the surface to give extra grip, whilst carborundum isn’t particularly cheap it’s probably the easiest option .

 

[In the pit]

You don’t need a lot of fall for water to run off allthough in such a situation the fall is usually determined for you by where you need to start and finish.
Rubber matting is a good walking surface, pattern pressed concrete can be good for grip but there’s nowt wrong with just plain concrete with a brushed finish if carborundum dust is added to the surface to give extra grip, whilst carborundum isn’t particularly cheap it’s probably the easiest option .

Grit blast dust cheaper and better

 

[Tarw Coch]

Grit blast dust cheaper and better

Never heard of using that allthough I have heard of using granite dust. I know the carborundum works as we have it in the parlour here, and now8/9 years on the surface is still as grippy as ever.
I have little knowledge of blasting grit but I do know it comes in different grades of coarseness, would some be more suitable than others?

 

[Big_D]

You don’t need a lot of fall for water to run off allthough in such a situation the fall is usually determined for you by where you need to start and finish.
Rubber matting is a good walking surface, pattern pressed concrete can be good for grip but there’s nowt wrong with just plain concrete with a brushed finish if carborundum dust is added to the surface to give extra grip, whilst carborundum isn’t particularly cheap it’s probably the easiest option .

I do have a bit of play with where it falls to, was thinking of raising it up 50mm, giving a 50mm step down which would act as a kerb for the autoscraper. Have carborundum floor in parlour and its a good job, will try the builders merchants to see ifvthey can supply, also have the chance to borrow a diamond pattern roller which may not be as grippy? But perhaps easier to hose down.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Patterned roller has to be done right if the concrete is a bit soft when done you will end up with rounded raised concrete between the indentations, a bit like cobbled stones and nearly as slippery, I wouldn’t think it would be significantly easier to hose down than carborundum in concrete but would be easier if using a hand scraper.
I seem to remember carborundum isn’t easily come by, not that many places stock it, the builder who did my job does a lot of parlour jobs so had it by him, it came here in an ordinary bucket so I wouldn’t have a clue what pack sizes it comes in.
As I said earlier, I’ve heard of granite dust being used but that’s all I know and the blasting grit might be of interest if you know someone who does blasting, I know a guy who buys it by the pallet load but I’d want to see some done before trying it, it’s the sort of job you want right first time.

 

[coomoo]

Rubber matting on exit is a great job any tight turns or pinch points cows just slip through on mats.

 

[organicguy]

if you put mats down you do away with all the issues of concrete finish which may be easier.
Just think carefully about the falls and siteing any drains, for both washing and urine. We ended up with a puddle outside the door even though the falls are away from it the volume wash always sends water outside which does not drain.

 

[lazy farmer]

Rubber matting on exit is a great job any tight turns or pinch points cows just slip through on mats.

Spot on I’m sure it’s part of the reason white line has all but disappeared here.

 

[Mr Mackay]

Rubber matting on exit is a great job any tight turns or pinch points cows just slip through on mats.

It is great , although the nobbly stuff takes extra effort to clean ! We actually had Quattro mats fastened down outside our Parlour door (its a tad narrow and a small step up ) and actually put them nobbly side down and despite being smoother , the cows dont slip on them any worse and they clean up so much easier (you can scrape them better )

 

[Big_D]

I should have started this thread a week ago starting to lay concrete tomorrow. Is it mostly 25mm thick the mats you get?

 

[coomoo]

Could be 20 mm these are the ones I’ve used

 

[Big_D]

if you put mats down you do away with all the issues of concrete finish which may be easier.
Just think carefully about the falls and siteing any drains, for both washing and urine. We ended up with a puddle outside the door even though the falls are away from it the volume wash always sends water outside which does not drain.

Yeah trying to get this right, putting in a precast slurry channel with slats to catch washings so they don't go down cubicle passage, certain places will either need a kerb or thought of bolting down some hydraulic scraper track

 

[Big_D]

Could be 20 mm these are the ones I’ve usedView attachment 834495

Do your cows go through the footbath everyday or just divert?

 

[Rossymons]

Could be 20 mm these are the ones I’ve usedView attachment 834495

A farm I visit had these installed not long ago. What a difference for the cows, like comparing night to day.

 

[coomoo]

Do your cows go through the footbath everyday or just divert?

Divert depending on time of year

 

[Big_D]

Making a bit of progress, the small area we have concreted we just did with wood float finish, can't source carborundum grit anywhere locally, no ones even heard of it, rubber is a good shout though as though we don't get a lot of foot trouble, whiteline is the main problem we do see. Slurry channel and slats are being delivered tomorrow. Had a sales chap in to discuss drafting crate, think we will set up so it can be added at a later date, in the mean time, will set up a couple of gates which can be operated from parlour pit with rope and pulley to draft them down to straw box or into new handling area. @lazy farmer any chance you have a pic of your shedding gate with off centre hinges?

 

[lazy farmer]

Will take some in the morning ?

 

[coomoo]

View attachment 834853View attachment 834856
Making a bit of progress, the small area we have concreted we just did with wood float finish, can't source carborundum grit anywhere locally, no ones even heard of it, rubber is a good shout though as though we don't get a lot of foot trouble, whiteline is the main problem we do see. Slurry channel and slats are being delivered tomorrow. Had a sales chap in to discuss drafting crate, think we will set up so it can be added at a later date, in the mean time, will set up a couple of gates which can be operated from parlour pit with rope and pulley to draft them down to straw box or into new handling area. @lazy farmer any chance you have a pic of your shedding gate with off centre hinges?View attachment 834853View attachment 834856View attachment 834857View attachment 834861View attachment 834863View attachment 834864View attachment 834865View attachment 834866

Is there fall in the concrete in the last picture?

 

[Big_D]

Is there fall in the concrete in the last picture?

Not a huge amount, about 1%