BEDDING FOR SHEEP AND CATTLE
For an ideal combination of comfort, health and optimal feeding
Bedding is one of the most crucial components, determining the living conditions of young animals and affecting their growth and development. The bedding chosen has to match animals’ needs and preferences. There are several bedding characteristics to be taken into consideration, including comfort level of the animal, moisture absorption capacity, cleanliness of the bedding area, and bedding particle size.
All of these aspects determine the ability to facilitate young animals’ development, as they affect disease spreading1. Different types of bedding are used to achieve these goals, including straw, hay, wood shavings or chips, sawdust, sand, and more1. Shale oil powder has also been found to be extremely beneficial, as it has high liquid absorption abilities.
SHEEP
Among different bedding systems, the most commonly used and accepted for lambs and kids is straw, distributed over concrete surfaces or tight grounds, as it softens the floors and helps achieving thermal balance(2). Sawdust is also well accepted for lambs, as it is soft and can efficiently absorb liquids.
Recent trends have focused on the use of slatted floors, with a high international growth in their use. Plastic slatted floors have been shown to be one of the preferred bedding systems for sheep.
Studies have shown that among different settings, goats spent more lying time on plastic slats. Moreover, the use of plastic slatted flooring has been found to be correlated with lower bacterial concentration3. Slatted floors are often elevated from the ground, in order to allow for the passage of bodily excretions and provide an easier cleaning process(4).
Moreover, studies have found that use of elevated slatted floors can lead to increased food intake and growth among kids, especially when divided into small groups(5).
Nowadays, it is becoming more and more common to distribute lambs and kids into small groups of 7 to 10 animals during the first days of life. This system allows for a better distribution of the animals throughout the bedded space and decreases the chance of disease spreading, with the use of optimal drainage systems. The goats are provided with colostrum with advanced feeding systems, such as automated feeders.
CATTLE
Among calves, straw bedding has been found to be extremely popular and beneficial. Studies have shown increased weight gain and starter intake among calves using straw bedding, together with a decrease in scouring when compared to sand bedding(6). Moreover, long stem wheat straw has been proven to reduce the prevalence of respiratory diseases among young calves(7).
Among the important qualities of wheat straw bedding are the high absorption abilities, allowing for a dry environment and good insulation for heat8. Overall, studies have shown that dry environments and bedding systems are preferred by calves, when compared to moisture and wet environments. However, studies have shown that calves prefer dry lying surfaces that are soft, such as sawdust, with clear aversion to hard concrete surfaces(9).
The combination of optimal bedding systems, together with feeding methods that are both monitored and as close to the natural feeding setting as possible, can lead to optimal growth and development during the very sensitive time after birth.
Contact us for more information about the combination of the optimal feeding environment and bedding system together with the best-quality natural milk replacers, allowing your animals to be raised and fed in a monitored and yet natural way.
References:
1) https://ag.umass.edu/crops-dairy-livestock-equine/fact-sheets/bedding-options-for-livestock-equine
2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159104001844
3) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016815911730254X
4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092144880600280X
5) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334988719_Effect_of_housing_systems_on_the_growth_performance_of_crossbred_goats
6) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030211001858
7) https://crystalcreeknatural.com/the-importance-of-calf-bedding/#:~:text=Deep%20bedding%20with%20long%20stem,your%20calf%20needs%20and%20questions
8) http://www.milkproduction.com/Library/Scientific-articles/Calf-Management/Growth-and-health-of-calves/
9) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030212003104
