"Sand Trap" For Free Stall Dairy Barns

"Sand Trap" For Free Stall Dairy Barns DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 23-3-7 Sand grows more popular every year as a bedding in dairy barns. The problem is that cows drag it out into the alley so it has to be replaced frequently. Also, more sand than necessary gets mixed with manure, which is hard on equipment. A new "Sand Trap" for free stalls greatly reduces the problem, says the manufacturer. It consists of strips of rubber spaced about 3 in. apart to trap sand in the stall. "The rubber strips prevent cows from digging out the sand and making holes," says Loyal-Roth Mfg., Loyal, Wis. The strips, 45 in. long and 3 1/2 in. wide, are held together on their sides by three stainless steel cables. Spacing is provided by reinforced poly inserts strung along the cables. The cables are attached to treated 2 by 4's. "It results in up to a 75 percent savings in sand while still maintaining cow comfort," says a company spokesman. "After installing the traps you may need to go back several times and add a small amount of sand as it settles between the strips. Once the sand is embedded between the strips, it won't work its way out. We recommend refilling the stall whenever the sand level falls 1 in. below the curb or the rubber strips become visible, or whenever the bottom of the brisket board begins to show. The sand should slope 2 to 2 1/2 in. upward toward the front of the stall for good drainage." Two models are available. The basic 60-in. long model weighs 100 lbs. and sells for $75 plus S&H. A larger 62-in. long model is equipped with a built-in rubber brisket bumper to keep cows from laying too far forward in the stall. It weighs 120 lbs. and sells for $85 plus S&H. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Loyal-Roth Mfg., Box 40, Loyal, Wis. 54446 (ph 800 472-2341).

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