Use of paper fiber by-products for bedding dairy cattle

Abstract

Bedding and bedding management contribute to cow comfort, udder health and milk quality. A clean, dry adequately bedded stall maintains cow cleanliness, inhibits microbial growth and transfer to teat skin, resists compaction and lessens chapping of teats. A comfortable stall bed encourages resting, minimizes injury and fatigue and accommodates reasonable rates of heat loss. Four bedding materials used were kiln Dried Shavings (DS), Green or Wet Sawdust (WS), dried paper fiber (PF) and a combination of paper fiber, ash and other ingredients used on twenty four lactating cross bred at farmers’ field in Maharajganj district during 2012 to 2014. The Fiber Mix was a very close second and compared quite favorably to the dry shavings. The pH of the Fiber Mix significantly limited bacteria growth in the bedding and on the cow’s udders. Also, the Fiber Mix performed equally as well as other tested materials in terms of cow cleanliness. The SPF products were denser than the dry shavings and the green sawdust, and tended to freeze more in sub-zero conditions. The ash and lime content of the SPF products allowed these products to maintain a higher pH throughout the trial as compared to the shavings and sawdust.