No matter what kind of dairy operation you run, you will always need some kind of bedding. But there are so many kinds of bedding on the market, how do you choose the right one? The best bedding for your farm will depend on many things, like how comfortable the cows are, how much it costs, how easy it is to get, how healthy the udders are, how fast pathogens grow, and more. Amber Yutzy of Penn State University Extension says that producers often don’t realise that the bedding material they use could be causing a high number of somatic cells.
When choosing a bedding material, farmers usually only think about two things: the comfort of the cows and the comfort of the farmers. Cow comfort is at the top of the list, since a cow won’t spend all day lying down and making milk if she isn’t comfortable. If stalls aren’t comfortable, cows may spend more time standing, which can cause lameness, reproductive problems, and less milk production, all of which are expensive for a dairy. Beds for cows need to give them support while they sleep, but they also need to be soft. The material used for bedding needs to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The fact that the bedding stays dry is one of the most important things. Pathogens that cause mastitis can’t grow as well when the bedding is dry. In addition to the cow’s needs, the farmer’s comfort is also important. To do this, the bedding material needs to be cheap and easy to use from a labour point of view.
There are two main types of bedding: organic and inorganic. Producers can choose from a wide range of organic bedding options. Sawdust or shavings is one of the most popular choices in Pennsylvania. This is because it is easy to use and easy to find. Cows have been seen lying down more in stalls with thick sawdust beds (Clark, 2019). Sawdust and wood shavings can soak up a lot of water, but because they are made of organic matter, they let pathogens grow quickly when they get dirty or wet. This kind of bedding is usually made up of small pieces that can be easily broken down by microorganisms. Because of this, both sawdust and shavings can have a lot of bacteria, which makes it harder to treat mastitis. Lime can be added to the back of stalls to lower the pH, which in turn kills pathogens. However, this usually doesn’t work for long and needs to be done every day to be effective (Clark, 2019).
Dry cows and heifers are often housed in barns with compost bedding or bedded pack barns. This type of bedding needs more care than most producers are willing to give it, but it can be cheaper than other systems. About 12 to 18 inches of wood shavings or sawdust are spread out on the floor of a bedded pack or compost barn to start the pack. The pack needs to be aired out twice a day until it is 8 to 10 inches deep. This helps add oxygen for aerobic decomposition and gives cows a clean, soft place to lay down. It’s important to add the right amount of fresh, dry sawdust, which can change a lot depending on the density and weather. Most pack barns with beds are cleaned all the way out once or twice a year. For cows to do well in this system, the pack and ventilation must be well managed. Many barns with bedded-pack surfaces have fans that blow air down onto the surface to help dry it. Often, when tilling, steam can be seen rising from the pack. This is because a lot of water is getting out. Most of the time, there are more pathogens in bedded-pack barns. To lower the risk of mastitis in cows, producers need to make sure there is enough bedding in the bedded pack, that it is tilled often, that there is good ventilation, that cows are not overcrowded, and that good parlour hygiene is used.
Mattresses are another type of bedding that is often used for the milking herd. There are mattresses in both tie stall and free stall housing. Mattresses have a waterproof outside and are filled with different materials, most often rubber. Most of the time, producers only use mattresses, but studies have shown that cows need extra bedding to make the mattress more comfortable (Clark, 2019). Without the extra bedding, cows are more likely to hurt their hocks and become lame if they don’t have enough bedding. Mattresses tend to be cleaner than other types of organic bedding because facilities that use them clean their stalls more often. This means that their SCC is lower.
Because of higher costs and less availability in some parts of Pennsylvania, producers are looking for other places to get bedding. Because of this, some producers are now using recycled manure solids. Manure that has been taken out of the dairy housing system and separated mechanically is used to make recycled manure solids. Solids from recycled manure can be used as bedding right away or composted and then used as bedding. This is a cheap way to sleep that is easy to find on the site. Because it is easy to get, it can be used as an alternative source of bedding. One problem with recycled manure solids is that they make it easier for environmental pathogens to grow quickly than other organic materials like sawdust or bedded packs (Harrison, 2008). But using manure solids in deep-bedded free stalls gives cows a better place to rest. This means that there are less cases of lameness and hock lesions in herds that use manure solids than in herds that use mattresses (Endres)
Straw is often used to bed our young animals because it is soft and keeps them warm. Research shows that cows like smaller pieces of straw (about 3/4 inch) because it is more comfortable and absorbent and breaks down better when thrown away (Tucker, 2009). Straw is a cheap choice for bedding if it is grown on the farm. Cows that sleep on straw tend to be dirtier than cows that sleep on other materials, so the number of cases of mastitis goes up.
If the farm is close to a paper mill, it may be possible to get cheap paper to use as bedding. Dairy bedding has also been made from recycled newspaper that has been cut up. Both can be used as bedding when mixed with other materials. This type of bedding is not good on its own because it doesn’t absorb water well. Animals that sleep on paper tend to be dirtier than animals that sleep on other materials.
Sand is a popular inorganic bedding material that can be bought on the market. Sand is cheap, keeps cows cleaner, and helps their legs and hooves stay healthy. Sand is best for udder health because it doesn’t help pathogens grow. However, when mixed with manure, pathogens can still grow. Sand’s edges are smooth, and it’s cooler, so it’s more comfortable for cows, especially when it’s hot. Particle size is important because sand with smaller particles holds water well and cows don’t like to lie on sand with bigger particles. Between 0.1 and 2.0 mm is the best size for sand bed particles. For cow comfort, softness, and shaping, a free stall should have a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Sand is better than other beddings because it can be recycled and used over and over again. Sand also gives cows a good grip on wet concrete floors so they don’t slip, but it wears down concrete and other mechanical equipment. Sand is hard to move around. Sand shouldn’t be put on fields because many manure storage systems aren’t made to handle it. Also, stalls with sand beds can get crowded if they aren’t taken care of properly.
Every type of bedding has its pros and cons, which can vary from farm to farm depending on how the barn is set up. When deciding on the best bedding for a dairy farm, you should weigh the pros and cons and choose the one that meets the needs of both the cows and the farm. A low number of somatic cells will never be reached if the bedding material is not managed well. No matter what kind of bedding your farm uses, getting the cows ready to milk is very important. Producers can keep the SCC low with any type of bedding as long as they do a good job of preparing the cows for milking, cleaning the milking equipment, making sure the cows are clean, giving them enough space to dry off, and managing the bedding and stalls.
