Alternative Bedding and Management of Composting bedded Pack Dairy Barns

Project Overview

LNC06-275
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2006: $150,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2008
Region: North Central
State: Minnesota
Project Coordinator:
Jeffrey Reneau
Email
University of Minnesota

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Animal Products: dairy

Practices

  • Animal Production: general animal production

    Abstract:

    No final report submitted to date.

    Project objectives:

    Objectives/Performance Targets

    •To assess by surveying farms using CDB what their needs are and experience has been in managing these facilities;
    •To determine using a micro-composting laboratory which crop residue materials possess the necessary chemical and physical characteristics to be prime candidates for use in the CDB;
    •To conduct a pilot study at the Morris West Central Research and Outreach Center with the most promising crop and wood byproduct residues identified by the micro-composting experiments;
    •To extend the use of the most successful alternative bedding to be used by cooperating CDB farms to determine the effectiveness in a commercial setting;
    •To explore the use of the CDB end product as a value added media source for the commercial composting industry;
    •To develop an Extension education program to provide this information to the general dairy farm public.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.