Bedding alternatives to Straw.

Reggie. wrote: »

Get bord n.a. Mona to deliver up peat

Any one using it. Do you find it good.
How much it costing?
Any issues spreading it after with a side slung spreader

I use it. Costs me about €140 odd a year. I fill a 15ft x 20ft shed 4 times a year. No bother firing it out of a muck spreader either. Just remember it swells with moisture so of you put in 6in then it'll be 9in when cleaning out. Bedding should last roughly 6 to 8 weeks depending on stocking rate on it

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Mod note: I've merged a new thread on alternatives to straw bedding with this older one.


Buford T. Justice

Damn you. Wrote s big reply and it wouldn't post. It's all your fault

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Sorry Reggie

Tramp

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

We will be tucking into maize next week.
I was thinking of putting on the cereals header and big square baling the straw.
Would there be a market for maize straw?
Would the transport subsidy cover it?
What value per ton?

Have you used it for bedding over? What would the feed value be. Traditionally here would use wheaten for feeding and barley for bedding

kevthegaff wrote: »

Is it right stripping bogs for bedding, bad enough for electricity! I'll get off my high horse now..

From a carbon point of view (and probably wildlife) it should be left where it is.

But sure real world and economics starts interfering.
What'll really mess your head is that BnM are investigating turning this safe secure carbon in the bogs. Pyrolysing it for energy and turning it into biochar and trying to figure out how the hell to make it into a marketable fertilizer.

Say my name wrote: »

As is said in other forums about peat.

Make sure the animals are vaccinated for Blackleg first.

So that was you

Reggie. wrote: »

So that was you

I've read. Not posted.
Boards the one and only.

Here's what BnM is currently investigating.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PeatDit

Seems to be that it might be marketed as a bedding or a lagoon cover.
All for the greater good in Irish farming. :pac:

It's a better prospect to leave that peat in situ and use a renewable growing biomass that is actually taking in carbon than one which took down carbon thousands of years ago.

adne wrote: »

140 odd a year seems too cheap for filling a 15ftx20ft shed 4 times a year.
What am I missing?

Only takes about 3m3 at most to fill it each time. It cost around €12 a m3 last year

jimini0 wrote: »

I'm goin taking your advice and getting peat instead of straw. Do you just leave the fresh cow muck on it or do you clean the fresh sh1t out daily?

The cattle mix it up for ya. I put it in and don't touch it for 5 or 6 weeks

jimini0 wrote: »

I'm sold. I can only get it in tonne bags locally. How much area would each bag cover? At 6inch deep

3m3 or there abouts does my 15 x 20 bay.

What about Miscanthus? The husband is going spare at no straw. He's afraid of peat. So what about Miscanthus? I've used it for horses and it's great. If it was put under cows would it be ok? We also scrape into a lagoon, would the miscanthus break down into the lagoon like the straw?

notsobusy wrote: »

What about Miscanthus? The husband is going spare at no straw. He's afraid of peat. So what about Miscanthus? I've used it for horses and it's great. If it was put under cows would it be ok? We also scrape into a lagoon, would the miscanthus break down into the lagoon like the straw?

Why is he afraid of peat?