Chopped straw livestock bedding

[Robbo the Farmer]

This year the straw I’ve been supplied is chopped, how this straw compares as bedding to non chopped:
Negative:
1. Cattle are mucky after 24hrs, to keep them in the same condition as non chopped straw would need double the round bales.
2. It’s probably due to to a wetter year and how the wind is blowing into the shed. So looking to fit gale.
Positives:
1: Goes through the West 1600 muckspreader like butter. Able to spread it straight from the shed.
2: Breaks down on the ground quicker, less problems for silage fields.
3: Able to lower fertiliser costs on silage fields.

I hope the gale breakers will solve the issue

 

[ollie989898]

Easier and quicker to clear out I would say as it doesn't want to remain one huge lump. Would also be a benefit from having straw from behind rotary combines.

Used to throw OSR and bean haulm into livestock sheds as a base layer and put straw on top. Apart from the prohibitive cost of baling these days there is no reason not to use that also.

A lot of sheds do not help themselves mind, what with them not draining properly or water troughs not ideally sited meaning water just collects in the bedding. No amount of straw is going to work in that circumstance.

 

[Robbo the Farmer]

Easier and quicker to clear out I would say as it doesn't want to remain one huge lump. Would also be a benefit from having straw from behind rotary combines.

Used to throw OSR and bean haulm into livestock sheds as a base layer and put straw on top. Apart from the prohibitive cost of baling these days there is no reason not to use that also.

A lot of sheds do not help themselves mind, what with them not draining properly or water troughs not ideally sited meaning water just collects in the bedding. No amount of straw is going to work in that circumstance.

I’m just very worried if the gale breakers don’t solve the problem, I will seriously have to think about giving up.
If chopped straw means using twice the straw is unviable for any suckler herd farmer.
I can’t out winter, that’s been done on this farm from 1939-2019, in 2018 we only made 30 bales of silage, when the cattle were eventually put in a shed I made 200 bales of silage.

 

[David1968]

I’m just very worried if the gale breakers don’t solve the problem, I will seriously have to think about giving up.
If chopped straw means using twice the straw is unviable for any suckler herd farmer.
I can’t out winter, that’s been done on this farm from 1939-2019, in 2018 we only made 30 bales of silage, when the cattle were eventually put in a shed I made 200 bales of silage.

How are you feeding them?

Separate passage, or area, cleaned out a couple of times a week can make a big difference.

 

[M-J-G]

We bed our cattle with a bedder as we have square bales, but it doesn't save any bedding at all, you give them less because it looks fluffy and bulky but they get dirty quicker, so they tend to need done more often.

 

[ringi]

Can you put a woodchip layer under the straw?

 

[Flatlander]

Short straw will always get dirty quicker. If you can source long straw I would. I’d even consider crap hay if cheap enough to throw in and creat a tough base. Just the sh1!s trying to spread at clean out.

 

[ollie989898]

How are you feeding them?

Separate passage, or area, cleaned out a couple of times a week can make a big difference.

This is the biggest winner by far. Scraped passage done with loader bucket or scraper every day takes away the bulk of the wet/dung and keeps the bedded area much tidier. If the water troughs are sited into this area also you avoid wet bedding.

If it's done right it's more solid than liquid and this material can be 'stacked' in a heap so you aren't creating slurry which has it's own set of problems. Typically the sheds I worked with so much straw would end up in the passage from the straw chopper and with silage/hay pulled out and dropped there it was solidish anyway.

 

[Werzle]

Alot give them a dusting every day with a straw chopper rather than bedding up 2 or 3 times a week unrolling or shaking out

 

[Optimus]

Alot give them a dusting every day with a straw chopper rather than bedding up 2 or 3 times a week unrolling or shaking out

A lot of bales just fall to pieces when you take the net off.

 

[HarryB97]

I’m just very worried if the gale breakers don’t solve the problem, I will seriously have to think about giving up.
If chopped straw means using twice the straw is unviable for any suckler herd farmer.
I can’t out winter, that’s been done on this farm from 1939-2019, in 2018 we only made 30 bales of silage, when the cattle were eventually put in a shed I made 200 bales of silage.

Galebreakers are great, the rain will only go 3-4 foot through with a strong wind behind. A 6-8 foot cantilever is also useful. I would never dream of chopping straw when baling, the longer the better!

 

[livestock 1]

Cubicles?

 

[Optimus]

Galebreakers are great, the rain will only go 3-4 foot through with a strong wind behind. A 6-8 foot cantilever is also useful. I would never dream of chopping straw when baling, the longer the better!

Short brittle straw an a case combine.balermans worst nightmare!

 

[HarryB97]

Short brittle straw an a case combine.balermans worst nightmare!

Sounds like barley straw through a John Deere rotary! Triticale is the best I’ve ever had, like thatching straw

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

We bought a 9m telehandler this year, with the theory we can place the straw in the yards nearly as far as the straw blower can throw it ( especially against the wind ) a few minutes with the pitch fork and so far so good. Chopped, mashed up straw works well as the cattle will fairly well spread it themselves.
Havent used the straw chopper hardly at all this winter.

 

[Robbo the Farmer]

How are you feeding them?

Separate passage, or area, cleaned out a couple of times a week can make a big difference.

Got a roundhouse, looking at things today it’s the weather, bedding cleaner today now it’s dry, galebreakers needed only on the right half the left side straw stays good.