Prepare for winter with wood chip bedding

by | Jan 11, 2019 | Central Heating Service

Why should you consider wood chip bedding?

This year’s shortage of bedding-quality straw is a fact. There are multiple reasons that have led to its unprecedented scarcity. Poor weather conditions during harvesting seem an obvious reason. This, however, was followed by dry spring. If you add strong demand from renewable energy plants, you have a recipe for the situation that we are in at the moment. So what can you do? Fortunately, you can use alternative bedding. We have prepared a comparison of some options, including wood chip bedding, so have a look below.

Comparison of livestock bedding

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Wood chip

Absorbency 159.6ml/litre | 100-120sq m coverage at 5cm depth per 1 tonne.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Worth knowing

Reusable throughout multiple seasons, clean.

Requires dry storage. Must use highest quality wood chip for animal welfare.

Use wood chip below 30% moisture to manage bacterial growth.

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Sawdust

Absorbency 159.6ml/litre | 800sq m coverage at 10cm depth per 27 tonnes

Advantages

Disadvantages

Worth knowing

Comfortable and clean solution, ideal for deep littering.

Requires regular maintenance – dry matter decreases after absorbing urine.

Consider dealing with damp, moulds, and bacterial growth.

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Paper

Highly absorbent | Beef & sheep require a 10cm depth at start of winter. Cows need 200kg per cow each winter

Advantages

Disadvantages

Worth knowing

Easy to store and dispose of.

Must be removed if paper gets wet or sets hard.

If wet allows pathogens to flourish. If clumped and be difficult to spread.

Barn bedding wood chip
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Crushed-husks

6-8% moisture content | 800sq m coverage at 10cm depth per 27 tonnes

Advantages

Disadvantages

Worth knowing

Easy maintenance. Can be mixed with other products such as lime.

Requires dry storage conditions
and anti-bacterial bedding powder.

Easy disposal on land. Doesn’t set hard on beds and remains free flowing for cow comfort.

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Lime - Calcium carbonate

Highly absorbent | 500g usage per cubicle bed per day

Advantages

Disadvantages

Worth knowing

No bacterial growth.

Can be spread on fields but advisable to analyse soils first because of its alkaline nature.

Easy disposal on land. Doesn’t set hard on beds and remains free flowing for cow comfort.

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Sand

Absorbency 0.3 litre/kg | 7.5-10kg per cow per day

Advantages

Disadvantages

Worth knowing

Clean, dust-free and well-drained bed. Good for deep-litter beds.

Can accelerate wear in slurry handling equipment and concrete surfaces. Also will stick to teats, udder and wear hooves.

Can be spread on the land, but be aware of long-term effect on soil pH.

Wood chip, pellet, brash

Call 03333 447234 to arrange your wood fuel supply today

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