Although straw is a widely used bedding source, other sources include wood shavings, sawdust, wood chips, shredded newspapers, tanning bark, corn cobs or stover, sand, peat moss, and hulls from oilseeds. Each of these beddings has advantages and disadvantages. Pine shavings or sawdust will result in less disposable material than straw but may be more difficult to dispose of than straw. Wood shavings, sawdust, and straw are all relatively absorbent. Straw may not be the bedding of choice for animals that may consume it. Oat straw is generally more palatable than wheat, rye, or barley straw. Straw can also be musty or contain straw mites. Shavings are preferred by horse farmers because they are less dusty and may result in less respiratory irritation.
Corn stalks or corn cobs can be used if they are ground prior to use. These are absorbent but may not always be available. Recycled newsprint may also be used. It is pollen-free and has less dust than straw or shavings. Although it is soft, it soils easily and is not as absorbent as other bedding sources. A further concern is its combustibility.
Nontraditional sources such as pelleted wood products may provide acceptable bedding. A number of these products are available commercially. They expand readily when water is added, are absorbent and easy to handle, and may be especially useful on smaller farms.
Sand can be a good bedding source for dairy cows. When bedded properly (free stalls), it is comfortable for cows to lie on, and it can limit the growth of mastitis-causing organisms. It can have drawbacks in manure-handling systems because of its abrasiveness.
The type of bedding used will affect the fertilizer value of manure. For example, wood products (especially pine) will break down much more slowly than straw and may cause nutrients to be released more slowly from manure. When manure is spread as a fertilizer, wood shavings can bind to nutrients in the soil and make them unavailable.
Horse farmers should not bed their horses with shavings from black walnut (Juglans nigra) trees because this shaving is likely to cause laminitis or founder. All hardwood shavings are often avoided on the chance that black walnut is mixed in. Horse farmers should be careful when getting shavings from a lumberyard or similar source since hardwoods may be mixed in.
Although a variety of bedding sources can be used effectively, they should all be considered as part of a farm’s management plan. Any nutrient management plan implemented on a farm should take into account how the bedding source used will influence the management of manure nutrients on a farm.
Author: Michael Westendorf, Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
