Rubber mats for a feed pad that has to last 20 years. Why Paul Dyer chose Kura
The Gist: Paul Dyer milks 500 Jersey cows on the western side of Lake Taupō, near Mangakino. Droughts and heavy wet spells had made the weather the hardest part of the job, so he built an undercover feed pad to get the cows off pasture, use feed better and simplify the whole system.
Rubber was not in the first plan. On cost alone, it was a year two or year three job. Then the pad came together, the new concrete was clean, and he did it all at once. 1,664 Kura mats, about 1,685 m², laid by Numat and finished on 15 December 2025.
Kura was not the cheapest rubber mat for his feedpad. Paul chose it after talking to farmers who had been running Numat mats for years, and learning Kura had been on the market since 2010.
Watch: Paul Dyer on rubber mats for his feed pad
The farm
The Dyer farm sits near Mangakino, on the western side of Lake Taupō. Paul runs a 500-cow Jersey dairy herd.
Where the feed pad went was as deliberate as what went on it. It sits so the cows flow straight off the pad and into the cowshed, which keeps the milking routine seamless. The concrete pad sits under a roof that keeps the weather off.
|
Dyer farm at a glance |
|
|---|---|
|
Location |
Near Mangakino, western side of Lake Taupō |
|
Herd |
500 Jersey cows |
|
Feed pad |
Undercover, concrete, 88.3 m x 25.5 m |
|
Matted area |
About 1,685 m² |
|
Mats |
1,664 Kura, 25 mm, interlocking |
|
Anchors |
6,750 |
|
Wash system |
Flood wash from a 60,000 litre tank, daily |
|
Installed by |
Numat, completed 15 December 2025 |
Why an undercover feed pad
The weather has turned harder here. Droughts at one end of the year, heavy wet periods at the other, and both of them tougher over the last few years.
Paul’s priorities were clear from his first conversation with Numat in April 2025. Get the cows off pasture and stop the pugging. Use feed better. Keep the tractor off the main highway and make the whole system simpler.
A composting barn was not what he wanted. A covered feed pad beside the shed was built to do all three jobs.
Rubber was a year three job. Then the pad was clean
When Paul first talked to Numat in April 2025, rubber was not on the cards. On cost alone, matting was pencilled in for year two or year three.
Then the plan shrank to one side of the pad. Then, as the build came together, he saw the opening. The concrete was new, clean and empty. That window only opens once.
He came back for matting pricing in August, ordered on 25 August, and the mats were down before Christmas.
From first enquiry to a matted feed pad
|
Date |
What happened |
|---|---|
|
April 2025 |
First enquiry. Rubber not in the plan yet |
|
August 2025 |
Paul comes back for matting pricing |
|
25 August 2025 |
Order placed |
|
3 November 2025 |
Pad re-measured on site. Final order 1,664 mats, about 1,685 m² |
|
6 November 2025 |
Mats shipped from Oamaru |
|
15 December 2025 |
Install completed by Numat |
|
24 February 2026 |
Follow-up site visit. All going well |
Rubber mats or bare concrete on a feed pad
Paul does not knock concrete. It is an option, and he says as much on camera.
The deciding question was how long the cows would be standing on it. In bad weather, the pad doubles as a stand-off pad, with the herd held there for three, four, even five hours. On rubber, he says, the cows settle, they stop walking about, and they are comfortable.
Bare concrete or Kura on the Dyer feed pad
|
What mattered |
Bare concrete |
Kura rubber |
|---|---|---|
|
Upfront spend |
Nothing extra once the slab is poured |
Mats and install on top of the slab |
|
Standing three to five hours in bad weather |
Hard surface for long stands |
Cows settled, not walking, comfortable |
|
First days on the pad |
No change for the herd |
Some cows ran on day one at the hollow sound. Settled within two days |
|
Washdown |
Flood wash |
Flood wash daily. Mat texture slows the water and breaks up dung |
He asked the farmers who had run them longest
Paul does not buy off a brochure. Everything he has put money into on this farm has a history that shows its durability and its long-term value. The matting was held to the same test.
There are other mats out there, and some came in cheaper. Paul’s research did not stop at the price. He talked to farmers, went and looked at other sheds and other operations, and he put the most weight on farmers who had been standing cows on Numat mats for years.
That is what settled it. Not a spec sheet. Farmers who had already found out the long way.
More than 15 years in the market
Paul is plain about why he chose Kura. The longevity it has had in the market to date. Nothing else.
In his own words, the mat he was standing on had been out in the market for nearly 15 years. Numat sold its first Kura mat in 2010. For a farmer committing to a system for the next 10 to 20 years, that track record was the proof he needed.
The mats
Kura is the heavy-duty rubber matting Numat supplies for dairy yards, feed pads and laneways. Kura is made in Germany at the Kraiburg factory from recycled rubber, vulcanised so the surface is fully sealed and does not hold moisture or bacteria. The anti-slip mosaic profile gives the cows grip, and the studded base gives them cushion underfoot.
Numat re-measured the pad on 3 November 2025 and the final order came to 1,664 mats. The sheets interlock along waterjet-cut edges and are pinned down with 6,750 anchors. They shipped from Oamaru on 6 November and Numat’s install team had the pad finished on 15 December.
Kura carries a 10-year warranty and an expected life of more than 20 years, which lines up with the horizon Paul was buying for.
Kura as installed at the Dyer farm
|
Product |
|
|---|---|
|
Made |
Germany, Kraiburg factory, vulcanised recycled rubber |
|
First sold by Numat |
2010 |
|
Thickness |
25 mm |
|
Sheet size |
1190 x 850 mm (current sheets are 1260 x 840 mm) |
|
Weight per mat |
23 kg |
|
Surface |
Anti-slip mosaic profile |
|
Base |
Studded |
|
Interlock |
Multiflex, precision waterjet-cut edges |
|
Hygiene |
Fully sealed, does not hold moisture or bacteria |
|
Warranty |
10 years |
|
Expected lifespan |
20+ years |
|
Quantity |
1,664 mats, about 1,685 m² |
|
Anchors |
6,750 |
|
Installed |
By Numat, completed 15 December 2025 |
How 500 Jerseys took to it
Day one was not seamless, and Paul says so. When the herd first came onto the pad, some of them ran, because the mats made a hollow sound under their feet.
It did not last. Within two days the herd had settled. Within a week they were drafting themselves to each side of the pad.
Flood wash, every day
Paul keeps vehicles off the mats. The pad is cleaned by flood wash every day, from a 60,000 litre tank.
The worry with rubber on a feed pad is that it holds muck. Paul’s experience runs the other way. The texture of the mat slows the water down, which breaks up the dung and flushes it off.
What the mats do not do
They do not make the pad clean itself. Every now and again a solid cow pat survives the wash, and Paul runs a tyre behind the motorbike to knock them over.
They cost more up front than bare concrete, which is exactly why Paul nearly left them to year three.
And there is a settling-in period. Two days of the herd getting used to a new sound underfoot.
What Paul would tell the next farmer
His advice on a spend this size is the same advice he followed. Do the due diligence, see other operations, and find something that fits the way you farm.
On the matting itself, he does not hedge.
Thanks, Paul
Thanks to Paul Dyer for having us on the pad near Mangakino and answering every question straight.
Paul made this call on the word of farmers who had already done it. That is the most honest proof there is, and it is why we let the farmer do the talking.
What farmers ask about rubber mats for feedpads
Why put rubber mats on a feedpad instead of bare concrete
Cow comfort over long stands. Concrete is a workable surface, and Paul Dyer says so. His reason for rubber was time on feet. In bad weather his 500 Jerseys can stand on the feed pad for three to five hours at a stretch. On Kura, he says, the cows are settled, they do not walk about, and they are comfortable. He judged rubber far more beneficial than concrete for long periods of standing.
How long do cows take to get used to rubber mats on a feed pad
About two days at the Dyer farm. When the 500-cow herd first came onto the pad, some cows ran because the mats made a hollow sound underfoot. Within two days they were settled. Within a week they were drafting themselves to each side of the pad.
How do you clean rubber mats on a feed pad
Flood wash works. Paul Dyer washes his matted feed pad every day from a 60,000 litre flood wash tank and keeps vehicles off the mats. The textured surface slows the water, which breaks up the dung and flushes it off. The odd solid pat survives, and he knocks those over with a tyre towed behind the motorbike.
How long do Kura rubber mats last on a feed pad
Kura carries a 10-year warranty and an expected lifespan of more than 20 years. It is made in Germany at the Kraiburg factory from vulcanised recycled rubber, sealed so it does not hold moisture or bacteria. Numat sold its first Kura mat in 2010, and Paul Dyer chose it for that track record.
Should you mat a feed pad when it is built or later
Paul Dyer planned to wait. Matting was pencilled in for year two or three on cost, or one side first. As the build came together he matted the whole pad while the new concrete was clean. He came back for pricing in August 2025, ordered on 25 August, and Numat finished the install on 15 December 2025.
How many rubber mats does a feed pad need
It comes down to the area being covered, measured on site. Each Kura sheet at the Dyer farm covers about one square metre. Numat re-measured the pad before the final order, which came to 1,664 mats over about 1,685 m², held down with 6,750 anchors.
How should you choose a rubber mat for a feedpad
Ask the farmers who have run it for years. That is how Paul Dyer chose. He talked to farmers, visited other sheds and operations, and weighed how long each product had been in the market. Kura won on longevity, not on price.
Sources
- Paul Dyer, on-farm video interview, near Mangakino. Filmed on 18 June 2026.
- Numat project records, Dyer farm. First enquiry April 2025. Matting pricing August 2025. Order placed 25 August 2025. Site re-measure and final order 3 November 2025. Dispatch from Oamaru 6 November 2025. Installation completed 15 December 2025. Follow-up site visit 24 February 2026.
- Numat sales records. First Kura mat sold in 2010.
- Kura product data. Numat Kura product page and Kura product spec sheet.
Get your feed pad measured and quoted
Anthony Garton looked after the Dyer job. He covers rubber mats across the North Island. He will come to the farm, measure the pad, give you a number for the whole job, and put you in touch with farmers who have been running Kura for years, so you can do your homework the way Paul did.
Anthony Garton, North Island
021 824 243
Related articles
-
24 September 2026Read more
Fifty stand-offs a winter. What Al Hall did about it
Standing 530 cows off on concrete, night after night, for weeks on end. Al Hall says it did not sit right with…
-
9 September 2026Read more
Two years on horse walker matting at Oulaghan Stables
Awapuni racehorse trainer Mark Oulaghan looked at sand before choosing Numat rubber for his horse walker. Two years on, he calls it…
-
21 August 2026Read more
Ten Years of Rubber Mats on a Waikato Dairy Yard
Amlak Farm ran one season on bare concrete and lameness climbed. Ten years on, the mats bought in 2019 are still working…
