Ivor Davey - Dairy Housing and Design - (+44) 07751 050158
Pack Mat system
Comfort of a deep bed, management of shallow bedding
Pack Mat™ is a rubber crumb filled mattress protected by a top-cover, which is installed below the level of the heel kerb, and below a 'pack' bedding material such as sand. Its yielding surface does not allow sand to compact, resulting in a softer bed.
In use since 1998 the Installation of the Pack Mat™ system has been proven to reduce sand usage by up to 80%. Many farmer find a saving of around 35 to 50% sand use in the UK. Studies indicate that only 1” (2.54cm) of sand is required when using the Pack Mat™, compared to the industry standard of 8” (20.32cm). Stalls always look freshly manicured.
The Pack Mat™ helps maintain a consistent neck rail height based on the bedding surface. Research has shown that cows kick up to 22kgs, of sand out of the stall daily. The Pack Mat prevents cows from digging unwanted holes in the stall floor. With no holes, there isn’t a negative slope in the stalls and the stall dimensions remain consistent. This allows the cow to get up and down without struggling, which reduces the stress level of the animal.
Pack Mat™ is economical, durable and low maintenance. This puts extra money in the farmer’s pocket. This is the ideal surface to keep your cows comfortable and content!
Why make cows comfortable?
Cow comfort is important, as the more a cow lies down, the more milk she will produce. It is shown that 1 hour lying is equivalent to around 1.6litres of milk. The graph below shows this, and the Pack Mat video below is time-lapse research showing cows entering the stalls quickly and lying down quickly. Where 1 second = 1 minute in the videos you will see high occupancy and lying times.
