Bedding emissions?
- Thread starter TommT
- Start date
- Location
- East Sussex
Bedding emissions! Tee hee!!
I’m a child
I’m a child
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
I dare say it matters where the straw has come from. The field next to the cattle shed or a field 200 miles away.
Just trying to figure out if there has been any work or studies done on adding the bedding materials to swell the amount of manure to be broken down against the pure product like say from below sheep/calf slats not actual slurry
There's 101 variables, the system needs to suit the farm, you can't go changing the farm to suit what is perceived to be a 'better' system.
What you can say, is that whichever system you choose you aren't going to be contributing to climate change. Anyone tells you different, tell them to do one.
What you can say, is that whichever system you choose you aren't going to be contributing to climate change. Anyone tells you different, tell them to do one.
I have a small flock of 70 ewes and permanent pasture. I'm considering slats.
I have to buy in all the straw/bedding and pay to have it spread back out again on the land.
Manure from slats would be alot less to spread and no straw to buy- must be better?
Price of the slats to consider too.
I have to buy in all the straw/bedding and pay to have it spread back out again on the land.
Manure from slats would be alot less to spread and no straw to buy- must be better?
Price of the slats to consider too.
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
It’s impossible to be really precise on emissions, there are just too many variables. If you’re looking at it from a carbon audit perspective, your fossil fuel use over the year will be a major part of it. It will go up if you start an activity like straw chopping, but the extra carbon that you then incorporate into your soil also needs to be considered.
In comparison to the levels of emissions produced by most businesses, any increase will be an extremely small drop in the ocean.
In comparison to the levels of emissions produced by most businesses, any increase will be an extremely small drop in the ocean.
- Location
- sw scotland
Our bought-in straw has counted against our carbon emissions just like fertiliser and feed. I would argue that the arable farmer is losing carbon and I am gaining but what do I know.
You could always lamb more outside
As my comments above, introducing someone else's organic matter will help your farm. You will know how much straw you use and the contractors charges and I suspect the price of slats and fitting them will take many years to recoup.
You could always lamb more outside
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
In our case , bedded sheep and a few cows on straw . Straw from our regular supplier ( he grows it) in or near Pontefract, so an hour by road plus whatever he’s done to get the crop.
My neighbour said thats a lot of money in straw , but I have a heap of fym as big as a bungalow to spread
We don’t tend to use artificial fert but I would hazard a guess our system is more carbon friendly or whatever the buzzword is
But as @delilah says , we have nothing to answer for , so tell them to do one
My neighbour said thats a lot of money in straw , but I have a heap of fym as big as a bungalow to spread
We don’t tend to use artificial fert but I would hazard a guess our system is more carbon friendly or whatever the buzzword is
But as @delilah says , we have nothing to answer for , so tell them to do one
Who has asked you to do this calculation ? Or has it just been for your in-house interest ?
And you’d be absolutely right. But the reality is it’s carbon cycling which is pretty much carbon neutral of itself, so neither of you should be "penalised". The only actual emissions taking place are the burning of diesel in whatever way.
If veg rotting in a field, because a supermarket has cancelled an order, suddenly becomes a farm emission, why is that the farmer’s problem? The supermarket should bear all of those "emissions" because they created the potential problem in the first place. But that’s not how this nonsense pans out is it?
The accounting rules are upside down frankly. That’s the real issue.
- Location
- Herefordshire
People flying around the world on holidays just so can take some nice photos to put on social media, the entire world of motorsports and the whole ‘fast fashion’ industry carry on exactly how it was yet we as food producers are scratting about trying to save a few grams/co2 per kg of beef/wheat/milk, madness.
Forget any of the guff about carbon in the straw/manure.
that's all short cycle stuff, and irrelevant...whatever 'they' say.
The only bit that really matters is what fossil fuel is burnt to carry out either system.
Making the slats- unless they're wooden - will be a chunk.
Hauling straw must burn some fuel -esp if it's coming across the water.
If you're serious, and your hands are tied by geography, start looking at growing crop for bedding - even just cutting late hay to bed through a chopper?
(and we're already straying into the absurd again....)
Lamb later, outdoors.
still too wet?
If your ground just won't carry outdoor sheep in winter....should you keep them?
Should you be growing sitka/rice/carp?
that's all short cycle stuff, and irrelevant...whatever 'they' say.
The only bit that really matters is what fossil fuel is burnt to carry out either system.
Making the slats- unless they're wooden - will be a chunk.
Hauling straw must burn some fuel -esp if it's coming across the water.
If you're serious, and your hands are tied by geography, start looking at growing crop for bedding - even just cutting late hay to bed through a chopper?
(and we're already straying into the absurd again....)
Lamb later, outdoors.
still too wet?
If your ground just won't carry outdoor sheep in winter....should you keep them?
Should you be growing sitka/rice/carp?
Ah, but they saved the world by driving to the airport in an EV and the Colombian coffee was in a recyclable cup.
I've got a great proposal for cutting farm emissions, sorting the housing crisis, road congestion, world wide emissions way below net zero, in one year, expontially increasing farm profit to boot. Cut worldwide food production by 2/3... its so simple and anyone worrying about funding the transitional period, fear not, gov are funding the first 25% reduction in SFI.
- Location
- Herefordshire
The problem you have there - for the purposes of this forum - is that the most surefire way to get a load of likeys is to take the p!ss out of the very organisations doing that.
https://viacampesina.org/en/who-are-we/regions/europe/
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BPR is not just a farming issue, it affects ALL business, it removes incentive to invest for growth
Join us @LondonPalladium on the 16th for beginning of UK business fight back
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