Dairy
Free stall bedding material
Bedding material selection should be based on the criteria of waste management, animal health and cow comfort. Two classifications commonly used in categorizing bedding materials are organic and inorganic. Organic bedding materials are those which provide energy for growth of microorganisms. The most commonly used organic bedding materials used in Mississippi are sawdust and shavings. These materials work well with liquid manure handling systems because most of it is broken down by microbial activity. Inorganic materials do not support bacterial growth and sometimes cause a problem in liquid manure handling systems. Common inorganic bedding materials are sand and limestone. Sand is the most widely used bedding material on Mississippi dairy farms. It provides benefits of cow comfort, cow cleanliness, and general cow health. Waste management systems have to be constructed to deal with the problems associated with handling sand.
