Mr. Ronan Boyle:

Absolutely. On that Teagasc trial, they got about a 17% increase in performance. Performance typically would equate to what you would anticipate getting off of a straw-based system. Concrete animals would not perform as well just because, I suppose, it is a comfort thing. They probably consume more energy when they are in housing and their feed conversion is poorer. Typically, to give it in numbers, animals on a finishing diet, for example, might put on about 1.1 kg per day. On a rubber slatted system, that could be increased to about 1.3 kg or 1.4 kg. That is where you get extra performance and reduced days to beef. Typically, on average, we would see the days to beef being reduced by anything from 21 to 28 days. That represents a significant savings in terms of emissions from the animal. It will also make farmers more efficient and profitable because animals are processed faster on the farm.

To explain what happens with the ammonia, if there was a concrete slat or flat surface, when urine and faeces mix, urease, it is like a chemical reaction takes place that basically forms ammonia and ammonia is released into the atmosphere. With the application of a rubber covering over the slat, our rubber has a curved profile on top so the urine drains into the tank pretty much instantly. Therefore, urease activity does not take place.