FEED ALLEY solutions to reduce dairy production costs

end the impossible scraping of feed alleys of spoiled feed…permanently

(and improve the moo’d of your cows!)

DAIRY SPOILAGE VISUALS

SPOILED SILAGE STICKS TO THE FLOOR AFTER CLEANING, AND HELPS SPOIL THE NEXT FRESH FEED LAYER.

COWS WILL SORT AND ELIMINATE FEED THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO EAT.

AND THE FEED HAS HOURS TO BE CONSUMED WHEN ON MOIST CONCRETE AND WARM CONDITIONS.

WHAT CAUSES DAIRY RATION / SILAGE FEED SPOILAGE?

CONCRETE BREATHES. MOISTURE COMES UP FROM THE GROUND, AND INTO THE FEED RATIONS.

IN WARM TEMPERATURES, THE FEED RATION STARTS TO ROT / SPOIL.

THE SPOILED MATERIAL STICKS TO THE CONCRETE, AND IS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE.

THE SPOILED MATERIAL IS CORROSIVE, AND EVENTUALLY CAUSES PITTING OF THE CONCRETE, AND MAKES CLEANING FEED ALLEY CONCRETE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, AS SPOILED SILAGE REMAINS IN THE CONCRETE PITTING.

FRESH FEED RATIONS ARE PLACED ON TOP OF SPOILED SILAGE RESIDUAL ON CONCRETE. THE RESIDUAL SPOILED SILAGE HELPS SPOIL THE FRESH SILAGE PLACED ON TOP.

HOW CAN YOU SOLVE FEED SPOILAGE ON CONCRETE IN AN EXISTING DAIRY BARN?

A SMOOTH RESIN FLOOR MUST BE INSTALLED ON TOP OF THE NEW OR CORRODED CONCRETE.

THE CONCRETE MUST BE AGGRESSIVELY SURFACE PREPARED FIRST TO REMOVE THE CONTAMINATED CONCRETE AS WELL AS ALL SPOILED FEED TRAPPED IN THE CONCRETE PITTING DAMAGE.

THE RESIN MUST BE APPLIED AND FULLY CURED IN AN HOUR OR SO TO ALLOW DAIRY COWS TO START FEEDING AGAIN.

THE SURFACE MUST BE SMOOTH, REMAIN NON POROUS, AND MUST NOT PEEL TO ENSURE COWS DO NOT EAT THE RESIN.

SUREBOND USES SILIKAL® MMA RESIN IN A 3 COAT SYSTEM THAT WILL LAST FOR 10 - 20 YEARS. IT IS A PROVEN SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN USED IN MANY DAIRY BARNS IN WESTERN CANADA.

FEED BREAST WALLS CAN BE PREPARED AND COATED AS WELL.

CAN I JUST DIY COAT MY FEED ALLEYS WITH EPOXY IN AN EXISTING OR NEW DAIRY BARN?

DAIRY BARNS IN OPERATION:

  • THE RESIN WILL TAKE DAYS TO CURE. COWS NEED TO BE FED.

  • SPECIAL TOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO SAFELY, AGGRESSIVELY SURFACE PREPARE THE CONCRETE.

  • ACID ETCHING WILL NOT WORK, AND WILL ONLY DAMAGE YOUR CONCRETE. MECHANICAL PREP OF SCARIFICATION RECOMMENDED TO REMOVE ANY RESIDUAL SILAGE EMBEDED IN THE SLAB.

  • GRINDING IS NOT AN AGGRESSIVE SURFACE PREP.

  • LIKELY LOW LONGEVITY: MONTHS, CAN BE

  • COWS INGESTING EPOXY / POTENTIALLY SHARP PIECES MAY PRODUCE COW HEALTH ISSUES.

NEW DAIRY BARNS UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

  • EPOXY CURING TIME IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR BARNS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

  • ACID ETCHING NOT RECOMMENDED. MECHANICAL PREP OF SCARIFICATION RECOMMENDED.

  • NEW CONCRETE MUST HAVE AGGRESSIVE SURFACE PREP FOR BETTER BONDING.

  • EVENTUALLY SUB SURFACE MOISTURE AND SILAGE CORROSION WILL DAMAGE THE EPOXY. THE COWS WILL END UP EATING EPOXY. UNSURE OF COW HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF EPOXY INGESTION / THICK PIECES CAN BE SHARP.

  • LIFETIME: MONTHS TO 2-3 YEARS, BEFORE REPLACEMENT REQUIRED. EPOXY CANNOT BE RE-COATED: MUST BE DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED DIRECTLY ON PREPARED CONCRETE. EPOXY OVERLAYS WILL ALWAYS PEEL.

SUREBOND FEED ALLEY RENOVATION AND NEW BUILD ACCOMPLISHMENTS