Cheapest Bedding

ford4610

Hi All, what is the cheapest option at the moment for suckler bedding in a dry shed? Is straw still the cheapest? Opinions welcome. Thanks

MfMan

Given its scarcity, I doubt it currently. Have you any trees/branches/foliage to cut up? If so, hiring a wood-chipper and making mulch out of it might be worth a try. Can't really think of any alternatives.

daviddenis

Woodchip is cheapest and best. Check reycling plant may give it to you for free. We use it on pad find it great. The odd turn with digger and its new again.

croot

ford4610 wrote: »

Hi All, what is the cheapest option at the moment for suckler bedding in a dry shed? Is straw still the cheapest? Opinions welcome. Thanks

I dont know how it would stand up to Sucklers but I'm using wood chip this year for the creep in the shed. Straw is €35 per round bale here and cant be got reliably so thats out.

This is working out at €18 per bay and so far its fine after three weeks. The bad weather meant I had to buy it locally so its a bit more expensive than I'd like.
I'm trying to source it cheaper but even at that price its better value than straw because its lasting longer.

ford4610

croot wrote: »

I dont know how it would stand up to Sucklers but I'm using wood chip this year for the creep in the shed. Straw is €35 per round bale here and cant be got reliably so thats out.

This is working out at €18 per bay and so far its fine after three weeks. The bad weather meant I had to buy it locally so its a bit more expensive than I'd like.
I'm trying to source it cheaper but even at that price its better value than straw because its lasting longer.

How much are you paying per load? I am told peat is also a good alternative to straw. Wood chip takes a long time to break down.

croot

It comes in rectangular plastic bags about 20kg's on a pallet. I bought 10 bags for €60 and that has done three pens. I'm looking for a cheaper source but that got me out of a hole. I wont be using a lot because its only for autumn calves in the creep.

I looked at peat but was told it can harbor a lot of bugs and can cause disease buildup. It would take a long time to break down the woodchip and wont suit everyone but I'm going to reseed some land in spring and plan to spread it and plow it in.

Stationmaster

I knocked up to 2 dozen evergreens there a few weeks back and am in the process now of clearing the wood, branches etc. Do you think it might be an idea to hire a mulcher for a few days and bag it and sell it? Was just going to cut up what I could and burn the rest outside.

lakill Farm

Stationmaster wrote: »

I knocked up to 2 dozen evergreens there a few weeks back and am in the process now of clearing the wood, branches etc. Do you think it might be an idea to hire a mulcher for a few days and bag it and sell it? Was just going to cut up what I could and burn the rest outside.

Hard to burn that evergreen stuff unless you use a few techniques that may add black smoke. Cost e100/150 for a proper mulcher. Would it be worth it. And might be hard to sell

farmerwifelet

We use peatmoss here and find it great. Very warm and comfortable for them and spreads easy and melts into the ground when spreading compared to straw.

ford4610

farmerwifelet wrote: »

We use peatmoss here and find it great. Very warm and comfortable for them and spreads easy and melts into the ground when spreading compared to straw.

Yes I have been told peat is very good. I presume a compost would be similar as I can get it at my local recycling center.

Reggie.

I'm going to try peat myself this year. Was told you would nearly get 6 to 8 weeks out of each pen before changing it

lakill Farm

Reggie. wrote: »

I'm going to try peat myself this year. Was told you would nearly get 6 to 8 weeks out of each pen before changing it

Lad selling it beside me by bulk.

Odelay

croot wrote: »

It comes in rectangular plastic bags about 20kg's on a pallet. I bought 10 bags for €60 and that has done three pens. I'm looking for a cheaper source but that got me out of a hole. I wont be using a lot because its only for autumn calves in the creep.

I looked at peat but was told it can harbor a lot of bugs and can cause disease buildup. It would take a long time to break down the woodchip and wont suit everyone but I'm going to reseed some land in spring and plan to spread it and plow it in.

Just to be clear Croot, that is wood shavings not wood chip. Wood chip are chips the size of eating chips and are sold in bulk. The shavings are generally baled in rectangular bags as you described.
Just want to be clear for anyone else that may order the stuff as there is the world of difference between them.
An option from the large sawmills would be saw dust (it's similar to chainsaw dust and not dusty in the normal sense), or buttchips, theryre large stringy chips and similar to what was used on outdoor pads.

Never wrestle with pigs

Would the wood chip cause issues with soar feet? Bits getting stuck between cattles claws?

charolais0153

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Would the wood chip cause issues with soar feet? Bits getting stuck between cattles claws?

Nope . have a bull on outdoor spot with it. Great job

tractorporn

Odelay wrote:

Just to be clear Croot, that is wood shavings not wood chip. Wood chip are chips the size of eating chips and are sold in bulk. The shavings are generally baled in rectangular bags as you described. Just want to be clear for anyone else that may order the stuff as there is the world of difference between them. An option from the large sawmills would be saw dust (it's similar to chainsaw dust and not dusty in the normal sense), or buttchips, theryre large stringy chips and similar to what was used on outdoor pads.

Have used sawdust here for the sheep for the past few years and we wouldn't go back to straw. A 4" deep bed of sawdust usually does 4/5 weeks. A load is 160 and it does us two years along with all the calving pens and lie backs.

Bleating Lamb

tractorporn wrote: »

Odelay wrote:

Just to be clear Croot, that is wood shavings not wood chip. Wood chip are chips the size of eating chips and are sold in bulk. The shavings are generally baled in rectangular bags as you described. Just want to be clear for anyone else that may order the stuff as there is the world of difference between them. An option from the large sawmills would be saw dust (it's similar to chainsaw dust and not dusty in the normal sense), or buttchips, theryre large stringy chips and similar to what was used on outdoor pads.

Have used sawdust here for the sheep for the past few years and we wouldn't go back to straw. A 4" deep bed of sawdust usually does 4/5 weeks. A load is 160 and it does us two years along with all the calving pens and lie backs.

Would ewes be lambing on the sawdust?....how do you find it from a hygiene perspective?

Brown Podzol

https://www.donedeal.ie/farmproduce-for-sale/animal-bedding-not-straw/11204195

Miscantus. €350 a load, supposed to be very absorbent.

Markcheese

Brown Podzol wrote:

Miscantus. €350 a load, supposed to be very absorbent.

With straw in short supply that could be a real winner, although I suppose long distance transport'll be the kicker.... Surprised They haven't come up with a way of baling it...

Never wrestle with pigs

Markcheese wrote: »

With straw in short supply that could be a real winner, although I suppose long distance transport'll be the kicker.... Surprised They haven't come up with a way of baling it...

Silage trailer load is €750 collected in the yard. It's not cheap. Probably over a thousand for an artic load. Would it have more bedding than 30/35 bales of straw? I doubt it. Wonder would it be a good alternative to grow on farm for your own bedding?

tomwaterford

Reggie. wrote: »

I'm going to try peat myself this year. Was told you would nearly get 6 to 8 weeks out of each pen before changing it

Know of a place where as part of tagasc experiment/advice (?) Lad fattened 250 or so bulls on straw,slats or turf

The ones on the turf performed the best by a sizable difference aparently....dunno if results were ever published though....only the lad that worked there told me of it

Reggie.

tomwaterford wrote: »

Know of a place where as part of tagasc experiment/advice (?) Lad fattened 250 or so bulls on straw,slats or turf

The ones on the turf performed the best by a sizable difference aparently....dunno if results were ever published though....only the lad that worked there told me of it

It would be warmer and savage absorption in it id say

whelan2

croot wrote: »

It comes in rectangular plastic bags about 20kg's on a pallet. I bought 10 bags for €60 and that has done three pens. I'm looking for a cheaper source but that got me out of a hole. I wont be using a lot because its only for autumn calves in the creep.

I looked at peat but was told it can harbor a lot of bugs and can cause disease buildup. It would take a long time to break down the woodchip and wont suit everyone but I'm going to reseed some land in spring and plan to spread it and plow it in.

I use those on my cubicles. Works well. Found when getting a bulk load of sawdust it would heat for some reason. Costing me €8 a bale gor a pallet of 42 bales. There are different types. I get the finest one

Mooooo

whelan2 wrote: »

I use those on my cubicles. Works well. Found when getting a bulk load of sawdust it would heat for some reason. Costing me €8 a bale gor a pallet of 42 bales. There are different types. I get the finest one

Any issues with scrapers and slurry channels,? Do you top.up daily?

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

Any issues with scrapers and slurry channels,? Do you top.up daily?

nope scrapers work fine . When cows are in full time would go through about 10 bales a week. Find the bales handy to handle and spread out. When we used bulk sawdust we would fill the bucket on the loader and use buckets to throw it onto the cubicles, it was a 2 person job , was also very dusty,can work away on my own now

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

nope scrapers work fine . When cows are in full time would go through about 10 bales a week. Find the bales handy to handle and spread out. When we used bulk sawdust we would fill the bucket on the loader and use buckets to throw it onto the cubicles, it was a 2 person job , was also very dusty,can work away on my own now

Wonder could you mix the sawdust with peat when the peat gets near the end of 6 or so weeks. To prolong it abit

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

Wonder could you mix the sawdust with peat when the peat gets near the end of 6 or so weeks. To prolong it abit

Used peat one year, found cell count rose with it. The sawdust is nice and clean, also had to go to Ballivor to get the peat moss

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

Used peat one year, found cell count rose with it. The sawdust is nice and clean, also had to go to Ballivor to get the peat moss

Yeah. That's were I'll be getting it. Only down the road for me

It'll just be for bullocks anyways

tractorporn

Bleating Lamb wrote:

Would ewes be lambing on the sawdust?....how do you find it from a hygiene perspective?

Yeah we lambs them down on the sawdust. Touch wood no problems so far in fact the I think the sawdust is a bit warmer than straw. The reason we changed was that we found that straw was wrapping around the ewes hoofs and causing lameness have none of that now.

K.G.

Markcheese wrote: »

With straw in short supply that could be a real winner, although I suppose long distance transport'll be the kicker.... Surprised They haven't come up with a way of baling it...

Wilsons in uk bale it .they use self propels to cut and then square bale it

Bleating Lamb

tractorporn wrote: »

Bleating Lamb wrote:

Would ewes be lambing on the sawdust?....how do you find it from a hygiene perspective?

Yeah we lambs them down on the sawdust. Touch wood no problems so far in fact the I think the sawdust is a bit warmer than straw. The reason we changed was that we found that straw was wrapping around the ewes hoofs and causing lameness have none of that now.

Any issues with the sawdust getting stuck onto the lambs navels....you would imagine it might and irritate them.

Base price

Know of a company in Longford selling chipped/milled pallets for €600 for a 40' load delivered (moving floor). I don't know how far they will deliver for that price and I haven't seen it.

kevthegaff

Base price wrote:

Know of a company in Longford selling chipped/milled pallets for €600 for a 40' load delivered (moving floor). I don't know how far they will deliver for that price and I haven't seen it.

Nails?

Odelay

Base price wrote: »

Know of a company in Longford selling chipped/milled pallets for €600 for a 40' load delivered (moving floor). I don't know how far they will deliver for that price and I haven't seen it.

That is a very good price. Can you pm me details please?

Base price

kevthegaff wrote: »

Nails?

TBH I don't know as I haven't seen it but I reckon the guy that is selling it wouldn't do so unless it was screened.

Base price

Odelay wrote: »

That is a very good price. Can you pm me details please?

I will when I get his phone number.

Odelay

kevthegaff wrote: »

Nails?

"Most" of the lads with large chippers or shredders will have an electromagnet after the machine. If they do it collects nails and more importantly to the operator any knives or flails that get pulled off, saves them a fortune in lost cutters. Smaller operators may not have that facility.

Markcheese

K.G. wrote:

Wilsons in uk bale it .they use self propels to cut and then square bale it

That'd make it more cost effective to transport long distances, but would it be worth the lads with Miscantus still growing it, if it caught on as bedding..

Base price

Base price wrote: »

I will when I get his phone number.

I lost my phone last month in the yard. I will get the phone number from OH later on or tomorrow and pm you the details.

3 the square

Was talking to guy at the weekend that said kerry group and some West cork coops are to start importing straw from UK shortly

flowerific

We use the peat moss. Wouldn't use anything else now. Get around 8weeks out of it. Buy it in bulk from a crowd in Meath

Willfarman

Spoiled hay put through a chopper?

newholland mad

3 the square wrote: »

Was talking to guy at the weekend that said kerry group and some West cork coops are to start importing straw from UK shortly

Straw in the UK is as scarce as here and making 90 to 100 pounds a tonne. That's nearly more than here.

Dunedin

Any advantage in mixing straw with wood shavings or would I be better off sticking with shavings on it’s own.

Have no room on the slats so Be bedding a few weanlings in one pen and a few cows in another.