Penetration Resistance and Water-Holding Capacity of Differently Conditioned Straw for TDeep Litter Housing Systems

Recently, litter systems in animal husbandry are gaining attention again due to aspects of animal welfare, environmental issues and low investment costs. In most of these animal housing systems, straw is being used as bedding material. The best storage form and conditioning for this straw is examined critically by determining both the stability of manure mattresses comprising differently treated straw litter and the water-holding capacity of the straw litter. The behaviour of straw bedding in housing systems was tested in a field experiment with 39 heifers in a deep straw system. The use of chopped straw did not reduce significantly the litter consumption, but led to lower manure mattresses. The stability of the manure mattresses in the pens was determined by using a newly developed measuring device. The mattress firmness decreased with time, while both chopping and intensive conditioning also reduced the mattress stability. While chopping or grinding of straw had no positive effect on the water absorption, the conditioning effect of modern baling techniques increased the water absorption significantly. From the results of these tests, the use of chopped straw as litter in housing systems with deep manure mattresses or sloping floors cannot be recommended. Attention also has to be paid to the conditioning effect of the modern threshing and baling techniques.