Green bedding

[frederick]

Think this may be the direction I head in a new shed.
Are any members using it. Is anybody using it as deep bedding or a topping for mats.

It's getting to the point I may have to get in the car and start seeing these things in practice.

 

[Stinker]

I use it. It makes sense if you are already planning to separate slurry. We deep bed.

 

[Horn&corn]

Think this may be the direction I head in a new shed.
Are any members using it. Is anybody using it as deep bedding or a topping for mats.

It's getting to the point I may have to get in the car and start seeing these things in practice.

Local chap was banned from using green bedding when they went down with Tb. I think that is now Defra policy as it is thought to reinfect. Other then Tb crack on if milk buyer ok with it

 

[harrysmith]

how deep ? ,

I use it. It makes sense if you are already planning to separate slurry. We deep bed.

 

[Stinker]

how deep ? ,

About 4 inches. Main issue is keeping the beds level without a mat. It tends to build up between beds unless you regularly level it out. I don't like to disturb it though as it can start to rot a couple of inches down. Maybe it could be raked every day with some sort of machine if your cubicles are the right shape. I would say its not as handy as sand but it is far cheaper and good on machinery

 

[deleted user 837354]

Think this may be the direction I head in a new shed.
Are any members using it. Is anybody using it as deep bedding or a topping for mats.

It's getting to the point I may have to get in the car and start seeing these things in practice.

I know a biggish dairy that use it in my part of the world. It smells pretty rank and I don't think it will be long before it's on the hit list of supermarkets if you have one of their contracts.

 

[Horn&corn]

I know a biggish dairy that use it in my part of the world. It smells pretty rank and I don't think it will be long before it's on the hit list of supermarkets if you have one of their contracts.

Units I’ve seen didn’t smell. Are they flood washing passages as that can smell dreadful. Possibly bedding not dry enough?

 

[Whitepeak]

Dairy I milk at are currently installing a green bedding system. It'll be going on mattresses, current system is sawdust on mattresses. They already separate slurry, but are putting a new, bigger, separator in atm. They are also extending the straw pen/sick cow pen, presumably to keep any mastitis cows out of the main group. Will be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[farmboy]

Looked round a local 1000 cow dairy recently that use it and to be fair cows looked pretty clean and I wouldn’t say it smelt anymore than any other shed. Couldn’t really comment on what SCC/ bactoscans were though

 

[vantage]

Talking yesterday to a farmer who’d been in contact with a large US dairy operator. Key to producing a good product was using muck from stale or dry cows, reasons being no leaked milk , no whites or discharge, both infection sources and a higher fibre content due to the ration.

 

[Tonka]

Can't use slurry from antibiotic treated cows. So dry cow slurry may be an issue.

 

[More to life]

Can't use slurry from antibiotic treated cows. So dry cow slurry may be an issue.

I just had a look at Red tractor rules for it there extensive, so many different animals need isolating from the lagoon. TB would put a stop to it completely.

 

[Slurry Solutions]

I know a biggish dairy that use it in my part of the world. It smells pretty rank and I don't think it will be long before it's on the hit list of supermarkets if you have one of their contracts.

If it smells then it’s not being used correctly, there shouldn’t be any smell for correctly produced RMS

 

[Slurry Solutions]

Think this may be the direction I head in a new shed.
Are any members using it. Is anybody using it as deep bedding or a topping for mats.

It's getting to the point I may have to get in the car and start seeing these things in practice.

If you would like some reference sites let me know, what part of the country are you in ?

 

[Stinker]

I just had a look at Red tractor rules for it there extensive, so many different animals need isolating from the lagoon. TB would put a stop to it completely.

Its not that difficult, you just need to bypass the separator and deposit it in the main lagoon.

 

[coomoo]

Think this may be the direction I head in a new shed.
Are any members using it. Is anybody using it as deep bedding or a topping for mats.

It's getting to the point I may have to get in the car and start seeing these things in practice.

Where did you end up regarding green bedding @frederick. Separating slurry is something I’m considering doing but would want the benefit of green bedding.

 

[Bald Rick]

View attachment recycle-manure-solids-as-cattle-bedding-conditions-of-use.pdf

Above link is a handy little pdf doc from Welsh Government on Recycled Manure Solids (RMS) setting out do's & don'ts.

I assumed that it was banned from use here but apparently not provided that you are officially TB free and do not use manure from bought in cattle for at least 30 days and nothing from birthing/sick pens

 

[frederick]

Where did you end up regarding green bedding @frederick. Separating slurry is something I’m considering doing but would want the benefit of green bedding.

We now have planning for a 5000m3 circular store.
Still working on sand as ventilation is not good enough in existing sheds for green bedding to work.
I can always go back from sand to green but not the other way.

Sand separation will probably go in next year but waiting on slurry investment scheme for store.
Looking at nearly 400k in total for 300 cows.

 

[Scholsey]

We now have planning for a 5000m3 circular store.
Still working on sand as ventilation is not good enough in existing sheds for green bedding to work.
I can always go back from sand to green but not the other way.

Sand separation will probably go in next year but waiting on slurry investment scheme for store.
Looking at nearly 400k in total for 300 cows.

Has there been confirmation there will be a slurry investment scheme for the store? Get the feeling they won’t do it to push a couple of thousand producers out as cows seem to be the latest climate scapegoat.

 

[frederick]

Has there been confirmation there will be a slurry investment scheme for the store? Get the feeling they won’t do it to push a couple of thousand producers out as cows seem to be the latest climate scapegoat.

So there is a slurry investment scheme. That's definite.
My understanding were details autumn 21 but that's pushed back to spring 22 with grants available from autumn 22.

There has been some discussion of at risk catchment funding first but I'm alright there.

However it needs to be clean air ready which is definitely covered. Still not really seen a covered lagoon that is likely to work well in the long term.
So I struggle to see what other options that can be offered other than round tower. And mine at nearly 200k with a 40% grant it's very expensive per farm for govt and even more for the farmer.