Sustainable utilization of hardwood for livestock bedding
The livestock sector has an increasing need for more sustainable and cost-effective bedding materials that can promote both animal welfare and working conditions. The aim of this project is to develop and test hardwood pellets as bedding for cattle.
The main objective is to develop and test hardwood pellets as cattle bedding, focusing on production methods, functional properties, animal welfare, hygiene, costs, and workload, to assess the product’s practical and economic potential.
Sub-objectives are to
- conduct industrial testing of wood chip grinding to determine the optimal method and consistency for pellet production
- conduct industrial testing of compression levels to ensure that the pellets dissolve at the appropriate rate during use
- Optimize equipment for crushing, pelletizing, and packaging hardwood pellets
- carry out a pilot trial with young cattle to compare coarse hardwood chips and hardwood pellets as deep bedding regarding lying behavior, hygiene, costs, and workload
Pilot Trial
A pilot trial will be conducted by NORSØK at Tingvoll Farm. We aim to compare coarse hardwood chips and hardwood pellets as bedding in pens for young cattle. Over a four-week period, animal welfare, hygiene, costs, and workload will be evaluated through behavioral observations, cleanliness assessments, health examinations and environmental measurements.
Bedding consumption, dry matter content, and microbiological conditions will be analyzed, and economic calculations will estimate annual costs per animal. In addition, the pellets’ moisture absorption and dissolution time will be tested to assess practical usability.