They Pave Walkways With Big Radial Tires

They Pave Walkways With Big Radial Tires DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 28-1-33 Several years ago, Leiden Land and Cattle Company Inc., of Coalport, Penn., started recycling big industrial tires for their cow-calf operation. They've used them to line their rotational grazing alleys. The idea worked so well, they recently began producing them for sale. The rubber walkways keep cows out of the mud so they stay cleaner, and they provide a cushion as they walk. "We use large, smooth radial tires from earthmovers, rock trucks, payloaders and scrapers," says Chris Leiden. "It's hard to find bias ply tires anymore and the drawback is that the radials are extremely hard to cut. We have equipment that we built for this purpose. We cut out the side walls and then cut the tread in half so it lays out flat." The flat strips of rubber are popular for resurfacing alleyways in intensive grazing pastures as an alternative to permanent options like Geotextile (fabric material, with crushed stone over top) or soil cement. "What you do is, take the topsoil off to the thickness of the treads, and then lay them down," Leiden says. "They're generally heavy enough to stay in place on their own. It's a softer surface for the cows to walk on and rainwater can still drain off between the treads. They create a solid surface and the cows are never going to wear away three to six inches of rubber. Another benefit is that our system isn't permanent. If you decide you want to change your alleyways, you just pick them up and move them." Dairymen have also used the big tire strips to resurface areas next to the cement pads outside their barns, or anywhere else that cows congregate and otherwise tend to create mud holes. Dairyman Arden Landis placed 100 feet of treads in the laneway prior to the cement holding yard which leads to his milking parlor. "I've found that they leave the mud and the stones outside on the treads. When it rains, the treads just wash off," says Landis. "I virtually have no mud, grit or stones on my cement holding yard floor. It makes it easier to keep the parlor cleaner and the cows aren't as dirty either." Leiden has treads available in sizes ranging from 20 in. wide and 16 ft. long, to 24 in. wide and 30 ft. long. The family sells them for $2.50 per square foot. For example, a 2 by 16-ft. tread costs $80, and a 2 by 25-ft. tread is $125. Shipping is extra. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris, Missy or Thad Leiden, 525 Maple Rd., Coalport, Penn. 16627 (ph 814 672-5374 or 814 339-7926; email: mleiden@ncsd.k12. pa.us).

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