Replacing Cow Mats...

Did you know that cows have the privilege of laying on mats in their stalls? They're not actually mattresses (although some barns do use mattresses of a sort), but they're thick, rubber mats that give them a softer base than concrete to stand on, and better traction as they get up from lying down. This helps to prevent leg issues in the cows, and also helps prevent tramped teats as the cows get up and down.

We put cow mats in all of our stalls a while ago.  Over the years they need to be trimmed as they stretch, secured back down as the bedding works it way underneath,  and eventually they need to be replaced.  It was a good job to get started on, on this rainy day.

Here are some of the old ones, with a small sample of the new one laying on the right side.  It's the clean, black piece.  Look how much thicker it is...

Yesterday morning while Jim ran to pick up new mats, Daniel tore out the old ones and cleaned off the concrete base underneath.  Then it was time to put the new mats in place.  They had to cut around the posts to make them fit.  Jim drilled through the mat into the concrete with his hammer drill...

...and Daniel anchored the mat in place with concrete anchors...

Putting the next mat in place, measuring and cutting around the post...

This is a time consuming job, so they only get a few mats done each morning.

I wonder if the cows will figure it out and fight over the stalls with the new mats? I would!