Tag Archives: feeding and bedding operations

1730-1736 J. Vegricht and J. Šimon
The impact of differently solved machine lines and work procedures of feeding and bedding on dust concentration in stables for dairy cows
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The impact of differently solved machine lines and work procedures of feeding and bedding on dust concentration in stables for dairy cows

J. Vegricht* and J. Šimon

Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Drnovská 507, CZ 161 01 Prague 6, Czech Republic; *Correspondence: jiri.vegricht@vuzt.cz

Abstract:

The measurements were aimed at the impact of differently solved feeding and bedding systems on dust concentration in stables for dairy cows. Dust particles can be found in the environment in which the animals are housed and can affect their welfare and health, and can also negatively affect equipment in livestock buildings. Measurements of dust aerosol on 7 different farms for dairy cows in 9 stables in total were carried out. We focused on the impact of differently solved machine lines and work procedures of feeding and bedding, especially feeding with a mixer feeder wagon, bedding with a bedding wagon (equipped with a floor conveyor, a milling cylinder and a transversal conveyor), bedding with a straw blower, laying of deep litter with a wagon equipped with a hydraulic arm and manual distribution. Technical systems are especially affected by the presence of dust particles larger than 10 μm, which fall down very quickly and easily settle on the animals and surfaces in the stable. So, we measured the concentration of dust aerosol with an aerosol monitor by means of a 10 μm filter.

The results of the measurements show that feeding with a mixer feeder wagon increases the concentration of dust particles in the stables by the least amount. Straw bedding increases the concentration of dust particles in the stables by several times. This increase, however, is short in duration, and dustiness in the stables quickly returns to the state before bedding. There is a clear, substantive difference between the differently solved bedding systems.

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