Blog | Reading Time 4 minutes

How a microbial bedding conditioner can replace lime

Peter Cheek explains how EazyBed PRO has helped reduce SCC in Godminster Farm’s 300-cow dairy. Find out more here.

Your dairy cows will spend 10-14 hours per day lying down. For all of that time, their udders are in contact with the bedding you have provided, as well as the potential pathogens it can harbour.

With the costs of mastitis and high SCC, it makes sense to consider carefully your choice of bedding conditioner and the impacts it can have on cow health and performance, as well as wellbeing.

Farmers experience multiple benefits when using microbial bedding conditioner

More and more farmers are discovering how easy it is to switch from lime to a microbial bedding conditioner which creates a biofilm of beneficial bacteria on bedding. The benefits they are finding when using EazyBed PRO are:

The mix of naturally occurring bacteria and enzymes in EazyBed PRO, together with a highly absorbent carrier, absorbs excess moisture in bedding, maintaining its condition for longer

A reduction in ammonia in buildings with more nitrogen retained in slurry and maintenance of air quality for animals and people

Maintaining the condition of bedding helps maintain udder health and reduces the risk of high somatic cell count

EazyBed PRO only needs to be applied once or twice a week, helping reduce workload

The non-abrasive conditioner is kinder to skin, for both cows and people

Hear Arla supplier Zara Dorrington explain how she brought down mastitis rates & labour requirements whilst improving slurry consistency & air quality with EazyBed PRO. Find out more here.

NEED SOME HELP?

Contact our team

On-farm trials demonstrate the effects of bacterial bedding conditioner

A recently published trial on a commercial dairy farm in the Czech Republic¹ showed a reduced risk of both environmental mastitis and high somatic cell counts from using the mix of bacteria and enzymes found in EazyBed PRO, a microbial solution that encourages the growth of positive microorganisms in the bedding.

 The trial delivered impressive results for the 228 dairy-cow herd, which traditionally suffered with high incidences of environmental mastitis.   

In areas where the bacterial bedding conditioner was used, the trial results showed no summertime spike in somatic cell count (SCC), unlike the farm’s usual experience. In fact, the cows in treated cubicles were 5 times less likely to have a SCC over 250,000 compared to cows in the untreated cubicles. Find out more.

 The trial also showed that the bedding conditioner was less abrasive than traditional lime-based disinfectants. As a microbial solution, EazyBed PRO is much kinder; the trial found it to be anti-caking and non-irritating to the cow’s skin, hocks, and teats. 

Commercial trial shows reduced ammonia emissions 

A second commercial trial² showed that using the mix of bacteria and enzymes found in EazyBed PRO) can also help deliver an impressive reduction in ammonia emissions.  

 The trial showed that the bacterial bedding conditioner reduced NH₃ emissions by up to 50%. The air quality in the shed was maintained as a result, with the reduction of smell particularly noticeable. 

How a microbial bedding conditioner works

 For producers wanting to improve bedding and air quality, SCC and udder health, cow and operator comfort and workload, introducing a non-hazardous biological bedding conditioner is a good option.

The blend of highly absorbent carriers in EazyBed PRO absorbs excess moisture in bedding, maintaining bedding quality. At the same time, the positive bacteria in the bedding conditioner create a biofilm – a community of bacteria living within a protective polysaccharide matrix – changing the microbial dynamics in favour of the beneficial microbial community. It is this combination of activity that gives so many benefits for dairy farmers.

Find out more about how biofilms work.

How to apply EazyBed PRO

The mineral and vegetal carriers within EazyBed PRO have been selected for their physical properties, to enable easy handling and homogenous spreading on any type of bedding.

EazyBed PRO can be applied using the same type of spreader as cubicle lime (although if a spreader has been previously used for lime it must be thoroughly cleaned before use). It can be applied in the same way as lime, ensuring a fine, even spread of the powder on cubicle bedding, but most people find they need to apply it less frequently than lime, typically once or twice a week.

A big advantage for those handling EazyBed PRO is that is users find it much less harsh to apply than the alternatives available, such as cubicle lime.