Alternative Livestock Bedding Tour

Wallboard and Wood Fiber Alternative Dairy Bedding Tour

Using waste wallboard/wood fiber as a bedding material can be an economic bedding alternative for livestock bedding.  The Resource Recovery Fund Board has provided funding to evaluate this alternative bedding to compare with sawdust/shaving bedding in two dairy barns. Analysis includes mastitis-causing bacteria testing on teats and in bedding material, potential contaminants, agricultural value, cow comfort (lay down times, hock health, cow cleanliness), stall dryness, ease of handling and economic benefits.

Lise LeBlanc, Don Anderson and the Atlantic Veterinary College have been working on this project since May on two farms – free stall (Bovidae Farms, Bob Wilson, Falmouth) and compost dairy barn (Folkerstma Farms, Jack Folkerstma, Milford).

A tour of the project will be held on Wednesday, November 28. The bus will be leaving the NS Federation of Agriculture offices (60 Research Dr, Perennia Innovation Park – off Pictou Rd in Bible Hill) at 12:30 pm.

Please contact LP Consulting office at 902-792-2636 to register for the tour by November 23. If you plan on meeting us at the farm, please call and register and we will let  you know what time we will be arriving at each farm.

This bedding can also be used for other livestock bedding