woodchip for cattle bedding

[Bootneck]

Hi, I normally just use straw for bedding down the cattle sheds but have access to a good amount of woodchip from neighbour who is a tree surgeon. could I use some woodchip as well as straw for bedding down the cattle? just to make the straw go a bit further?

 

[Cowpoke82]

Hi, I normally just use straw for bedding down the cattle sheds but have access to a good amount of woodchip from neighbour who is a tree surgeon. could I use some woodchip as well as straw for bedding down the cattle? just to make the straw go a bit further?

Is it chip or shavings ?? I’ve seen outside corals with deep beds of wood chip used to good effect but never in a shed

 

[upnortheast]

I wonder if chip will be slow to breakdown ?
So muck is spread on grassland, Chips come back in the silage ?
Could have a negative effect on fermentation ?

 

[organicguy]

We put woodchip under bedding for beef cattle when it is free.
Saves straw on first bedding up. adds carbon to soil when spread.
No brainer if free.

 

[borderterribles]

I used to use woodchip ,both for indoor and outdoor pens and found it very successful in both situations. I stopped using it when during an EA inspection, the Inspector pointed out that as some of the wood was recycled, as opposed to virgin woodchip ,it could lead to potential problems with the Landlord over disposal of it ,due to paint,solvents etc. leading to land contamination issues .

 

[Poorbuthappy]

We put woodchip under bedding for beef cattle when it is free.
Saves straw on first bedding up. adds carbon to soil when spread.
No brainer if free.

We chip stuff from coppicing hedges. Spread it in the shed for summer - makes a great base for sheep handling through summer, then bed up on top of it for cattle coming in. Definitely saves on straw. As you say, adding carbon back to soil.
Takes a little longer to break down than the straw but tend to let ours compost down a bit anyway.

 

[ringi]

I wonder if chip will be slow to breakdown ?
So muck is spread on grassland, Chips come back in the silage ?
Could have a negative effect on fermentation

I expect could find a chipper with a fine outout setting if required to break it up before spreading, but a pile of woodchip from fresh trimmings left outside for a year will compost.

 

[organicguy]

I wonder if chip will be slow to breakdown ?
So muck is spread on grassland, Chips come back in the silage ?
Could have a negative effect on fermentation ?

I've mixed chip into the pile of fym stacked to spread to soak up juice and never had to worry about it coming back in silage. Have had trouble with stacked fym coming back when we try to spread between cuts as powers that be would like us to do.

 

[Jasper]

We spread some on a real heavy field then ploughed it in it transformed it

 

[BAF]

If you know a busy tree surgeon they'll probably pay you to take it!