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Bedding dairy cows

  • 17-08-2020 7:42pm
    #1
    Icelandicseige
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 452 ✭✭


    Hi folks,
    What would be the best option for housing milking cows through the winter when there is no cubicles available?
    Straw??
    Wood chip?
    Sawdust?
    They would be in an open house shed just would like to know your opinions on best bedding options for cost and efficiency/ absorption. Thanks. We have no cubicles at present but will have in the future!


Comments

  • #2
    trixi2011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,536 ✭✭✭trixi2011


    Icelandicseige wrote: »
    Hi folks,
    What would be the best option for housing milking cows through the winter when there is no cubicles available?
    Straw??
    Wood chip?
    Sawdust?
    They would be in an open house shed just would like to know your opinions on best bedding options for cost and efficiency/ absorption. Thanks. We have no cubicles at present but will have in the future!

    Dry cow or milking ?


  • #3
    Icelandicseige
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 452 ✭✭Icelandicseige


    trixi2011 wrote: »
    Dry cow or milking ?

    Milking


  • #4
    Madisonmenece
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 173 ✭✭Madisonmenece


    We straw bed milking cows, cows bedded area is fully cleaned out every morning and 2 No. round bales of spread.

    cow laying area is 65ft x 36ft, supports 50 cows comfortably. Cows are in super condition in the spring.

    we find slightly weather beaten barely straw to be best, oat straw seems to be to glossy.


  • #5
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,932 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Icelandicseige wrote: »
    Milking

    You"d have the price of the cubicles paid for in one winter, over going the straw bedded route, minimum per 50 cows you"d need to be going with 3 bales a day if milking to keep them dry/clean/ and cell count right, but given the state alot of straw is in this year you'll still have issues due to mouldy wet straw been the norm this year....
    Fag packet calculations your looking at a cost of over a euro a cow per day for bedding, 100 day wintering period, and you would have your cubicle and mat paid for and another 100 euro would cover concrete for cubicle beds


  • #6
    Markcheese
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,821 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    I suppose the question is what sort of bedding do you have access to ? And how much ?
    Plus you'd probably fit more cows in a cubicle house than a loose shed of the same size ,
    There are advantages to loose housing ,( especially if you've access to straw,) if you want manure to bring up the organic matter in the soil ,

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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  • #7
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,753 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Woodchip is probably more labour friendly. Put a thick layer in the first day and just top it up after that. Peat is a disaster in an open shed if rain/snow blows in on it.

    Only downside to woodchip is that N needs to be added to it to rot it down. Also don't let it near a slatted tank.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #8
    Mooooo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Sr of a shed makes a massive difference as well.


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