Mention the name Termonfeckin and most people will think of the miles of unspoilt beach about an hours drive north of Dublin. If you are a breeder of pedigree Holstein cows you probably also know that Termonfeckin is home to the 2017 overall winning herd of the North Eastern Holstein Club herds competition.
The breeding policy of selecting bulls with both good type and production is certainly paying dividends for the Flanagan family. The Tubbertoby herd consists of 85-90 pedigree registered Holstein Friesian cows. Annual milk production is now approaching 9,000kg per cow with 4.0% fat and 3.35% protein.
The herd has 16 cows classified Ex, 70% of the herd is scored VG or EX.
In 2014 Paul decided to install Elista cubicle mattresses as the Pasture Mat that was installed 12 years previous was no longer providing the level of comfort that Paul required.
I visited Paul after 4 winters of using the Elista mattress to see how it was performing
Paul says he is absolutely satisfied with his investment. The Elista mattress is showing no signs of wear which he admits was a concern as the Pasture mat was prone to getting ripped.
Cows were being buffer fed when I visited as grass has been a little tight due to dry weather. Some of the cows chose to lie on the Elista after coming in from the field. The Elista mattress was staying very clean and the non-stick cover is clearly very effective
There is a lot of components to managing a high class herd like Tubbertoby so here at Teemore Engineering we are delighted that our Elista mattress is making a contribution.