Compost competes with straw
Compost competes with straw
COMPOST could become a new low-priced alternative to chopped straw, sand or sawdust for cubicle bedding on dairy farms. Thats the view of Andrew Garnett following initial trials with a 20-tonne load of compost on his familys farms in Cheshire.
Andrew has a two-way interest in bedding materials for cow cubicles. The cost and performance of different materials are important factors for the 300 cubicle-housed cows on the Garnett family farms.
But he is also the designer of the AG Dispenser, a tractor-mounted machine developed for spreading chopped straw and other types of bedding in cow cubicles.
Interest in using compost in the cubicles started this winter when the Garnetts decided to buy a load to use on a trial basis. The move was prompted partly by the rising cost of straw and also because using sand as an alternative could cause problems in the farms slurry system.
"The government is encouraging compost production to reduce the amount of material going into landfill sites, and at the moment the supply seems to exceed the demand," he says.
"There is a similar situation in Japan, but they appear to be using substantial quantities of compost in cow cubicles. I was aware of this because they have imported some of my machines to handle the compost."
The Garnetts trial load of green waste compost arrived during the winter and, apart from some initial problems during the changeover from chopped straw, it has proved to be ideal for the job.
"The compost was wet when we started using it, which is not ideal, and it must be stored under cover to keep it reasonably dry," he says. "But since we overcame that problem it has performed very well.
"At present it is cheap. I think we got our compost free, but paid for the transport. The AG Dispenser handles it very easily and the cows seem to like lying on it. We used the 20-tonne load in half the cubicles for a 130-cow unit, and we still have some left after almost four months.
"After the compost has done its job in the cubicles, it is almost certainly more beneficial than straw, sand, sawdust or paper waste for spreading on the land.
"From our experience, compost seems to be ideal for cubicle bedding and we will certainly be interested in using it again next winter instead of chopped straw." *