Travel fifteen minutes out the Kilmallock road from Limerick City and you will find Ger Kirby’s brand new, state of the art cubicle shed and rotary parlour.
Despite delays due to Covid-19, the project was completed within nine months and has left Ger and his family in a strong position for future sustainability.
“If you have good people around you, you can do anything”, noted Ger, and that is certainly the case for this project.
Ably assisted by his father, wife, three children and a full-time worker, Patrick, Ger was able to project-manage the build from start to finish and overcome the challenges that inevitably arise when carrying out such extensive renovations.
The finished structures speak for themselves. Ger broke down the specification of the shed:
“It’s twelve standard 15ft 9in bays long and it’s 120ft from eave to eave. We went with three rows of head-to-head cubicles with fifteen foot beds.
“We went with two feeding passageways of 16ft on the outside, and two 10ft 6in passageways in the middle. It gives us space so that we can feed one hundred cows on both sides and we can feed fifty across the front of the shed, so it’s given us space to feed 250 cows.”
Researching the right cubicle shed
Having done his research into the best cubicle options on the market, Ger decided that the flexible route was best for him and so contacted Easyfix to see what products would suit his farming system.
After an on-site consultation to discuss his needs Ger opted for the Easyfix ‘Calm’ cubicles and ‘Phoenix’ mattresses.
“I was really impressed with the cubicles and the flexibility of them compared to the steel, rigid cubicles we had in the old shed. Every winter we used to find a few cows trapped under them so I enquired about the Easyfix cubicles and everyone was very happy with them. I must say, after our first year I’m really, really happy with them. The cows just stretch out,” Ger was delighted to report.
Ger had a clear idea in his mind of what he wanted the cubicles to offer to his herd. He explained:
“We went with 44in centres so even the biggest cows have plenty of room in them because with the flexibility they give, the cows can move another three or four inches if they really want to.
“We went with the flexible neck rail brackets just to take the rigidity out of the system. It’s a lot more comfortable for the cows. They’ve the scratcher there too so they can scratch if they want to.”
Ger installed the Easyfix ‘Phoenix’ mattress in every bed in the cubicle house and is delighted with them, not least because of how securely fixed to the concrete they are.
A big desire of Ger’s was to have the mattresses well bolted down so there would be no interference when cleaning the back of the beds with the Bobman. The Easyfix ‘Phoenix’ mattress has enabled Ger to achieve this goal and lets the Bobman “fly along them”.
Ger concluded, “From a cow comfort point-of view the Easyfix cubicles and mattresses have been brilliant. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone thinking of putting up a new cubicle shed in the future and if I was to build another one I’d definitely go with Easyfix again. They’re really comfortable.”
The new build, coupled with the good people around him, means the future looks bright for Ger and his enterprise.
To find out more about Easyfix’s award-winning dairy housing comfort solutions, click here.
Alternatively, you can call Easyfix on: 1850 850 750.
