rubber mulc for cool rooms

[aswaim]

ive been reading on people using rubber mulch (the type used in kids playgrounds and such) for bedding in their cool rooms or stalls.  from what I can figure out youd have a concrete pit a foot or so deep with drains in it. then youd fill it full of said rubber mulch. urine would go through it and drain then crap can be scooped and washed off and mulch can be re used once its dry. Ive found some info on calfclimate.com who distributes cooler supplies as well as the rubber mulch. Has anyone used this rubber mulch or have ideas about it? what advantages or disadvantages does provide vs. cedar fibers. I know many horse people use it for box stalls and it can be washed off through to the drains to kill odor.
this seems like a very cost effective long term thing to use if it has no negative effects on hair.

 

[subcattleco]

I don't know if this is going to work but its what I'm trying. First I poured a slopped cement pad. I know your not supposed to keep calves on cement but I figured 6" of rubber mulch would allow for plenty of padding. It will be softer then some of the dirt in our barn.  We built an 8" tall frame out of square tubbing and small expanded metal. The plan is the expanded metal will hold the mulch back while allowing liquid to pass thru and drain. I'll find out if it works tomorrow.

 

[subcattleco]

Here is a pic from today

 

[Tallcool1]

Last year we used rubber mulch in our cooler.  We did sloped concrete with a drain system, covered it with 10-12 inches of rubber mulch, and away we went.

It seemed like plenty of cushion to me.  It was like standing on a pillow!

First off, it is an absolute pain to keep this stuff clean.  Unless you are in the barn constantly, the crap gets mixed in with the rubber mulch and you have to scoop up lots of it and run it through a screen to clean it out.  Very time consuming.

The rubber mulch gets stuck between their toes, so you need to watch this REALLY REALLY close.  They will come up lame, and you won't know why...turn them over, and low and behold there is a chunk of rubber mulch stuck way up there. 

We put three steers in the cooler last year.  All three were EXTREMELY sound.  We blew the hocks out of all three, had to put them all on Natural Stride, Ice Water therapy to control swelling, shots, vet bills, and a whole lot of worrying.

This year, we tore the whole cooler apart, went back to a dirt floor and mulch bedding, and have not had any problems.

I thought is sounded and looked like a great idea.  I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people before I decided to go with the mulch.  I did not have a good experience with it.  I know that lots of people get along just fine.  I am just not one of them.

 

[subcattleco]

I sure hope We have a better experience than you did Cool1. I have wondered about the rubber getting in toes I will be sure and check. Thanks for the input.

 

[aswaim]

I'm not too worried about cleaning and such, I realize ill have to make a cleaner of some sort for it, but  cedar fibers or rubber the shit will get scooped immediately, so cleaning will be minimal.  and I don't think the hock issues can be attributed to one surface or another that was probably just a rare coincidence as all calves can blow hock simply based on their genetics and growth that is too rapid. but you never know i've seen crazier thing happen. The issue with it getting in the toes does make a lot of sense but the stuff i've been looking at seems relatively small and would be hard for it to get wedged in toes. How big were the pieces in that cooler? and were the calves tied or turned loose in pens? and I was told by a guy that he never scooped shit. he just washed it through the rubber mulch with a hose and it ran down through the drains? do you suppose that would work in a pit type scenario?

 

[Tallcool1]

I'm not too worried about cleaning and such, I realize ill have to make a cleaner of some sort for it, but  cedar fibers or rubber the **** will get scooped immediately, so cleaning will be minimal.  and I don't think the hock issues can be attributed to one surface or another that was probably just a rare coincidence as all calves can blow hock simply based on their genetics and growth that is too rapid. but you never know i've seen crazier thing happen. The issue with it getting in the toes does make a lot of sense but the stuff i've been looking at seems relatively small and would be hard for it to get wedged in toes. How big were the pieces in that cooler? and were the calves tied or turned loose in pens? and I was told by a guy that he never scooped ****. he just washed it through the rubber mulch with a hose and it ran down through the drains? do you suppose that would work in a pit type scenario?

We tried to just hose it down through the drains, but the problem is corn.  The corn would not rinse through the mulch.  Basically, it worked great for about 2 weeks, then it ended up being a huge mess.  We then went to a larger grate system over the drains, and then the mulch started falling through.  Pretty much...if we were in the cooler all the time to scoop it up, it worked GREAT.  Otherwise, it was shovel work.  To clarify......We HAD a pit type system.

We kept them tied up in the cooler.

The mulch was anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

We probably just did something wrong.  I am sure it will work good for you.

 

 

[aswaim]

Thanks for all the input. Im still thinking on it.

 

[wirehands]

After a lot of research we also tried rubber mulch last year.  Our experience was just like tallcool1.  Our son spend all his time cleaning rubber mulch instead of working hair.  We hated it.  Odor was a problem as well.

This year we made a raised floor with tenderfoot and added landscape cloth and cedar mulch.  It has worked great. 

We will never try rubber mulch again.

Good luck.

 

[aswaim]

After a lot of research we also tried rubber mulch last year.  Our experience was just like tallcool1.  Our son spend all his time cleaning rubber mulch instead of working hair.  We hated it.  Odor was a problem as well.

This year we made a raised floor with tenderfoot and added landscape cloth and cedar mulch.  It has worked great. 

We will never try rubber mulch again.

Good luck.

Tender foot as in what they use for hog flooring/ wire coated with rubber? im a little confused hows that work? or maybe I have the wrong idea in my head

 

[wirehands]

Yes, you are correct.  We got the tenderfoot flooring from an old hog operation,  It was already fastened to 2x4 boards and then we placed it on a 1 inch board.  We have a concrete floor so we can wash under it daily to help keep the odor down.

 

[aswaim]

is it not hard on the cattle to stand on it all  day?

 

[wirehands]

No.  It is much better than just mulch on concrete.  The floor has some flex to it and the cattle are standing on several inches of cedar mulch.

 

[aswaim]

I think I got it now. you guys still have cedars on top of the flooring. the flooring just allows it to run  through and allow it to be washed away rather than piling up at the bottom and creating stink and mess over the years.

 

[wirehands]

Exactly.  However, we still add and remove mulch from time to time.

 

[jason]

Thanks for the input.  I was talking the other day to someone who was thinking about going this route, will update them with your experience.

Last year we used rubber mulch in our cooler.  We did sloped concrete with a drain system, covered it with 10-12 inches of rubber mulch, and away we went.

It seemed like plenty of cushion to me.  It was like standing on a pillow!

First off, it is an absolute pain to keep this stuff clean.  Unless you are in the barn constantly, the crap gets mixed in with the rubber mulch and you have to scoop up lots of it and run it through a screen to clean it out.  Very time consuming.

The rubber mulch gets stuck between their toes, so you need to watch this REALLY REALLY close.  They will come up lame, and you won't know why...turn them over, and low and behold there is a chunk of rubber mulch stuck way up there. 

We put three steers in the cooler last year.  All three were EXTREMELY sound.  We blew the hocks out of all three, had to put them all on Natural Stride, Ice Water therapy to control swelling, shots, vet bills, and a whole lot of worrying.

This year, we tore the whole cooler apart, went back to a dirt floor and mulch bedding, and have not had any problems.

I thought is sounded and looked like a great idea.  I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people before I decided to go with the mulch.  I did not have a good experience with it.  I know that lots of people get along just fine.  I am just not one of them.

 

[subcattleco]

Well we've had calves on rubber for a week or so now. Clean up isn't to bad. Love how you're able to rinse it down clean. However, heifer came up limping this morning. Caught her laying down dug between hooves and sure enough she had a piece of rubber stuck in there. So I'm second guessing myself on this one. I really like the sound of the tenderfoot cedar fiber idea. If Anybody want to buy some rubber mulch I have some for sale.