“We wanted to move away from deep litter, but the right mattress didn't exist yet.”
“Deep litter comes with risks. Bacteria can accumulate, and we didn’t want that anymore,” explain Arjan and Saskia van Erp. Consequently, the dairy farmers wanted to switch to cow mattresses. “The Meadow Vista and Valley mattresses were too low for our needs. We required a higher rear edge.” At the time, a mattress with a higher rear edge was not yet part of the Spinder product range.
Photo: Saskia and Arjan van Erp
A new product: Meadow Mesa
Together with another dairy farmer, the idea for a ‘double’ Meadow Vista was proposed to Spinder. That concept formed the foundation for a new product: the Meadow Mesa mattress.
Since October 2025, these mattresses have been installed in the cubicles at the Van Erp family’s dairy farm in Midwolda (Groningen), where 200 dairy and calving cows are milked by four milking robots. With an average annual production of 11,500 kg of milk per cow, comfort and hygiene in the barn are essential.
Experience with Meadow Mesa Mattresses
The experience with the Meadow Mesa mattresses has been very positive. “The cows have plenty of grip and can stand up safely.” Maintenance is also a major advantage: “Compared to deep litter, the mattresses are easier to clean and require significantly less maintenance.”
The level of comfort is clearly visible in the barn. “When they stand up, you can see the mattresses contouring to the cows. Shortly after they rise, the mattresses return to their original shape.”
Curious about more experiences with our Meadow cow mattresses?
