Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn

Abstract

Providing clean, comfortable bedding is essential for the growth and welfare of bulls. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of bedding thickness on growth performance, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration in the barn. Thirty-six healthy Simmental bulls (7–9 months old) were randomly divided into three groups and raised on 0 cm (concrete floor, CF), 15 cm (shallow fermented bedding, SFB), and 30 cm (deep fermented bedding, DFB) fermented manure bedding. The results showed that the DFB group exhibited the optimal ADG (average daily gain), F/G (ratio of feed to gain), hoof health, body hygiene, and lying time, followed by the SFB group and the CF group (p < 0.05). As for the barn gas environment, the contents of ammonia and carbon dioxide were the lowest in the DFB group, followed by the SFB group, and they were the highest in the CF group at the same time points (p < 0.01). In summary, fermented manure bedding significantly improves the growth performances, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration, and the improvement effect achieved by deep fermented bedding is more obvious than by shallow fermented bedding.

Dynamic Changes in Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Community in Three Types of Recycled Manure Solids for Dairy Heifers

“…Every three days, a forklift was used to turn the piles after the temperature of the fermentation process had first risen beyond 55 • C. Every five days, the moisture content of the compost was measured. When the fermented temperature exceeded 50 • C for more than 7 days, and the moisture content dropped to 50%, the pile was stretched out to dry until the water content fell to about 30% [21,22]. The barn was then furnished with bedding supplies.…”

Effects of different microbial agents on bedding treatment of ectopic fermentation of buffalo manure

“…Bedding material is then generated by adding aerobic fermentation bacteria and corresponding treatment ( He et al, 2016 ). It can be classified as natural pile fermentation ( Niu et al, 2022 ), strip stack aerobic fermentation ( Han et al, 2021 ), tank aerobic fermentation ( Hanajima et al, 2011 ) and drum aerobic fermentation ( Chinakwe et al, 2019a , b ). This method has a thorough innocuous treatment, high biosafety, and high quality bedding, but high human and material costs and long fermentation cycles ( Cole and Hogan, 2016 ).…”