Put rubber mat on concrete for goat stall?

[porcupine73]

Hi, my goat stalls have a concrete floor. I noticed at Tractor Supply they have horse stall rubber mats for $20. Should I put this on the concrete for my goat stalls? I worry sometimes about rubber offgasing stuff though. I suppose I'd have to sniff it carefully to make sure it doesn't stink too badly first.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Just use wood chips or straw

[mekasmom]

You should put something on the concrete. Straw is cheap and easy to clean out on a regular basis. If you want to spend money on a rubber mat, you will still have to clean it too. But don't let the goat lay on the bare concrete.

[porcupine73]

Thank you, yes, I would definitely put bedding on the concrete. I wasn't sure if the rubber mat on the concrete, and then the bedding, was a good/advisable step.

[anita_fc]

I use either straw or wood shavings directly over the concrete. As long as it is well bedded, mats are unnecessary. I would worry about the moisture getting under the rubber mat. Concrete pens are pretty easy to clean, too.

Anita from Idaho
Dan-Ani Pygmy Goats
www.gndt.net/dan-ani

[prairiedog]

We have stall mats on our concrete floor works great not near as cold either. Saves on bedding too.

[porcupine73]

Great, thanks. I"m planning to put in goat sleeping benches too, maybe the rubber matting would make a nice top for the benches? So that they're not sleeping directly on the hard wood? Or maybe they would just pull the matting off the benches and start eating it I'm not sure ...

[Minelson]

Concrete is hard on horses joints so I figure it would be hard on goat joints too. I use the stall mats in the summer. I do the deep bedding method in the winter so they are not needed then. My mini donks have stall mats year round. I am a stall mat addict. lol! I have them all over the place. I usually score them on CL for a lot less than buying new. And here is a tip for moving them because they are very heavy and hard to move...use a C clamp as a handle and they are then easily moved and you can even tie a strap to it and pull it with the tractor to the other side of the property. My hubby would get so mad at me when I needed help moving them cuz I move them alot. Now I don't need his help at all

[AuntKitty]

Thanks Minelson! Great tip for those of us raising goats alone.

Kitty

[porcupine73]

Nice tip thanks. I might even use one in the garage at the workbench, the stall mats are far cheaper than the interlocking rubber panels they sell for garage floors.

[prairiedog]

We have concrete floor in the chicken house too so have a stall mat in there. Makes cleaning easier stuff doesn't stick to it as much.

[porcupine73]

On the concrete, I think I'm going to put down a layer of barn lime and diatamaceous earth, and then put pine pellets and straw over that, depending on what bedding products I can find locally.

I decided against the stall mats because I don't like the rubbery smell of them. I looked at Tractor Supply today, and they were nice, but that rubbery smell I just didn't like so I passed.

[Lazaryss]

Originally Posted by Minelson

Concrete is hard on horses joints so I figure it would be hard on goat joints too. I use the stall mats in the summer. I do the deep bedding method in the winter so they are not needed then. My mini donks have stall mats year round. I am a stall mat addict. lol! I have them all over the place. I usually score them on CL for a lot less than buying new. And here is a tip for moving them because they are very heavy and hard to move...use a C clamp as a handle and they are then easily moved and you can even tie a strap to it and pull it with the tractor to the other side of the property. My hubby would get so mad at me when I needed help moving them cuz I move them alot. Now I don't need his help at all

That is a brilliant idea.

[LFRJ]

We use rubber mats, but mainly to protect the wood floor and give a little insulation. Bedding goes on top, of course. And yes, Minelson was a back-saver with her little tip ( though I use vice-grips).

[porcupine73]

Thanks, I did end up going with the rubber stall mats. I found some at a local supply place that didn't smell at all. That was a job moving them. I used a little wagon to pull them out of the car onto it, into the barn, and then wrestle them onto the floor. I put down 170lb of barn lime over the area before laying down the mats.

Those mats are like wrestling a 100lb wet noodle. It's tricky to do without help. The little garden wagon was very useful though, I could get the mat near where I wanted it, then kind of roll the mat off onto the floor. Not sure I'll be able to move tomorrow though, I can tell my back is going to be sore.

[Minelson]

Did you use a C Clamp??? it's easy peasy with that....you will be surprised.