Anybody reusing sawdust bedding?

[Full of bull(s)]

With the obvious straw issues this year I’ve been using a few alternatives sawdust being one. It works well but when I muck out once you are away from drinkers and feeders it is still very dry although compacted. Has anyone tried putting it through a mixer wagon or similar to fluff it up and then reuse it, I am loose housed bulls on hoppers so the muck is dry coming out of them. The only concern I have is whether it would heat up too much and maybe catch fire when stored as I would want it kept undercover for obvious reasons.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

It won't catch fire . Your only problem as I can see would be a bacteria build up causing laminitis

 

[Chae1]

I visited a massive dairy farm in Estonia and they refused it. It ran through some separate and came out other end ready to use again.

 

[had e nuff]

We used to just run through it with the muck fork on the loader just to break it up.

 

[Full of bull(s)]

I visited a massive dairy farm in Estonia and they refused it. It ran through some separate and came out other end ready to use again.

Thanks. Their s##t is so much drier than dairy cows and bulls seem to pack the bedding harder than steers even, so much of the dust seems wasted. I know of one or two who drag through it with tunes which is ok in big foldyards of 50-100 in a pen but all mine are in small pens of 10-15 so not really practical

 

[puppet]

You don't need to go to Estonia to find dairy farms recycling bedding. Big one near here has a separator to squeeze the moisture out, some heat kills the bugs then back into the cubicles. Saves thousands a year and no infection build up

 

[Cornish bob]

If you are worried about bacteria build up chuck around some hydrated lime on the bed,we give each pen of bulls a bag each week .it cuts diggy to a very negligible level.

 

[Full of bull(s)]

If you are worried about bacteria build up chuck around some hydrated lime on the bed,we give each pen of bulls a bag each week .it cuts diggy to a very negligible level.

Throwing a bag or two into the mixer would do it. The other option could be Pruex treating it. I use the water additive but haven’t used the bedding treatment product. There is a video on his site showing a Cornish dairy farmer mucking out loose housing on dust, muck coming out as dry as snuff

 

[Chae1]

You don't need to go to Estonia to find dairy farms recycling bedding. Big one near here has a separator to squeeze the moisture out, some heat kills the bugs then back into the cubicles. Saves thousands a year and no infection build up

I didn't go to see sawdust being recycled!

 

[puppet]

You surely didn't go all that way to see cows being milked?

 

[Optimus]

With the obvious straw issues this year I’ve been using a few alternatives sawdust being one. It works well but when I muck out once you are away from drinkers and feeders it is still very dry although compacted. Has anyone tried putting it through a mixer wagon or similar to fluff it up and then reuse it, I am loose housed bulls on hoppers so the muck is dry coming out of them. The only concern I have is whether it would heat up too much and maybe catch fire when stored as I would want it kept undercover for obvious reasons.

We put 2 loads in a shed before housing in October.when I cleaned it out in January.I managed to skim the dung off the top of the sawdust.gave it a stir up once we removed the dung, was spot on [emoji106]

 

[Full of bull(s)]

We put 2 loads in a shed before housing in October.when I cleaned it out in January.I managed to skim the dung off the top of the sawdust.gave it a stir up once we removed the dung, was spot on [emoji106]

So you put it in thick at the beginning and it lasts that long? Up to a certain depth about 5-6” their feet seem to stir it up enough to mix it to an extent but more it just seems to compact and waste it. Once it caps they seem to get it mucky

 

[Optimus]

So you put it in thick at the beginning and it lasts that long? Up to a certain depth about 5-6” their feet seem to stir it up enough to mix it to an extent but more it just seems to compact and waste it. Once it caps they seem to get it mucky

Yes, straw doesn't seem to last long so been putting saw dust in for a few years.this was first time we put sawdust in first .kept them far cleaner 75 cows + calves.they got 2or 3 4ft6" bales of straw a day.