This is one of those products that you don’t know you need until you use it – and then you are never without again!

We were introduced to this matting when we took over Underdown and, have to admit, we were sceptical.  It is really a hang over from the Ostrich boom days, where the long legged Ostrich chicks needed a good grip on the flooring to prevent them damaging their legs.  The easy to clean but slippery floors used in most brooders just didn’t cut it.  This matting is put over the flooring  and thereby gives the chicks a good grip to walk on and reduces incidents of splayed /damaged legs.

That all seemed very well if you were keeping Ostrich, or even Emus, but splayed legs in chooks and other game birds are just one of those things aren’t they?  Par for the course as you raise birds on newspaper.  It was a clutch of Guinea Fowl chicks that did it for us though.  One came out of the incubator with splayed legs and, as the others slipped and skidded across the newspaper floor of the brooder, two others started to develop splayed legs as well.  We were scolded by another Guinea Fowl breeder for not using  non slip matting.  Needless to say we put a layer down.  All three chicks came good and we never looked back.

This is a rubbery type matting and washes in a bowl of disinfectant.  It will wear out, particularly if you dry it in the sun, but certainly isn’t disposable if you look after it.

We used to supply it in 1800mm wide rolls, but now do the 900mm wide roll, which is more affordable for the average user who cuts it down to size anyway.  Check out the 19.81m roll price for big savings if you are using it on a larger scale.

Price is per metre.