Favorite bedding for show cattle?

[stangs13]

Whats your favorite bedding, why do you like it so much, and is it economical? I am trying to find what works best for your wallet and the cattle. Thanks!


-justin

 

[shortyjock89]

We use straw in their turn out pens in the winter time, and it's harder to keep them clean, but it keeps them warm.... In the tie pen, and in all pens in the summer, we use wood chips that we get from the local pallet factory.  We have to clean the metal out, but it's fairly cheap (can use it all summer for about 80 bucks or so. 

 

[herfchic]

We laid down sand and then that erosian mat stuff.  Then we laid down about 6 inches of bark and put ground up corn cobs on top of that.  The cobs keep the pens a lot drier than anything else, and with the herefords we don't have to worry about anything getting stained.  It has really worked well for us.

 

[stangs13]

We use straw in their turn out pens in the winter time, and it's harder to keep them clean, but it keeps them warm.... In the tie pen, and in all pens in the summer, we use wood chips that we get from the local pallet factory.  We have to clean the metal out, but it's fairly cheap (can use it all summer for about 80 bucks or so. 

How much do you get at a time? I know a guy that owns a lumber company, and i was thinking of getting shavings from him.

 

[shortyjock89]

Hmm...I'm not sure how much it weighs, but we get 3 or 4 scoops with an endloader at a time.  At $20/scoop, we spend $60 or $80 bucks and are pretty much set for the summer.

 

[stangs13]

ok, How many 12x12 pens will that fill? Sorry for the questions!! :-\

 

[shortyjock89]

No idea, we don't have any 12 x 12 pens...it also depends on how deep you like your bedding.  To be honest, you could probably bed 4 12 x 12 pens all summer with $80 of mulch (from the place I get it). 

 

[stangs13]

Sounds good!! I wil have to look into that! Thanks.

 

[shortyjock89]

No problem!  Are you another Justin from IL?  We could use some more Bears fans on here!

 

[stangs13]

Actually I am in Texas currently, but I have lived most of my life in Illinois! I agree, more bears fans are needed! Dont forget to watch the game tonight.

 

[kanshow]

We use straw in the winter...

The local lumber place sells a 2T farm truckload of that mulch for less than $100 and yes it could last all summer.

 

[kimbaljd]

Actually I am in Texas currently, but I have lived most of my life in Illinois! I agree, more bears fans are needed! Dont forget to watch the game tonight.

Hey, I would check just down the street from the FFA barn there. There is a business called Friendswood Firewood Company. See what they have. They might be able to help you out.

 

[NHR]

We use pine chips from the local Living Earth dealer. It is the playground safe pine wood chips that has been screened of metal and other stuff. They fill up my pickup for $50 (about two yards). This will bed 3 - 10x12 stalls for 3 - 4 months.

 

[inthebarnagain]

Last summer I got the tree trimmers who work around here to dump their loads in a big pile.  Yes, we had to sort through and pick out the big sticks and yes we had to make sure they didn't trim anything poisonous but it was well worth it being that it was free!  We filled the barn and then put all around the barn for the mud, worked GREAT!

 

[stangs13]

Actually I am in Texas currently, but I have lived most of my life in Illinois! I agree, more bears fans are needed! Dont forget to watch the game tonight.

Hey, I would check just down the street from the FFA barn there. There is a business called Friendswood Firewood Company. See what they have. They might be able to help you out.

Ill try them! Have you ever been to our barn barn?

 

[kimbaljd]

Actually I am in Texas currently, but I have lived most of my life in Illinois! I agree, more bears fans are needed! Dont forget to watch the game tonight.

Hey, I would check just down the street from the FFA barn there. There is a business called Friendswood Firewood Company. See what they have. They might be able to help you out.

Ill try them! Have you ever been to our barn barn?

I live about two miles from your barn. I drive by there often. I always try to look and see the calves when I drive by.  I have a ten year old daughter that shows heifers. What kind of calves are you showing?

 

[stangs13]

I have a limosuin heifer up there. I am the only one that really is intrested in showing heifers it seems now, unfortunatly. I am there after school at about the same time everyday, so maybe one day you could stop by and I could show you around. I also am doing the showmanship clinics at gal county. My dad is the manager at gulf coast equine and pet down the road on 2351( just keep going straight past the road to the barn).

 

[TJ]

Actually I am in Texas currently, but I have lived most of my life in Illinois! I agree, more bears fans are needed! Dont forget to watch the game tonight.

I watched it.  It was wild at the end.  I thought the Bears had thrown it away after that "out of bounds" horse collar tackle.  But, when GB lined up to kick, I couldn't help but think, "what if they block this kick" & they did.  WOW!  BTW, I saw a few crazies in the stands with no shirts on & now I know why they voted for Obama!      


BTW, if you have black cattle, you might consider shredded paper.  Someone wiser than me pointed out that it probably wouldn't work for white or off colored cattle due to the ink.

 

[stangs13]

It was a perfect ending. My grandpa died a few days ago so we are up here in kentucky, and he was a huge bears fan and we would always call after the games and talk about it, I just new the bears would win lastnight.

Where do you get shredded paper from?

 

[Show time]

We use corn stalks.  I like it better than straw...and it's free!! (minus twine and fuel of course)