Dairy farmer Ed Spencer from Middle Hall Farm in Eastington, Gloucestershire, hasn’t looked back since switching from sand to EnviroBed paper bedding.
“It was helpful for the slurry not being on sand,” Ed explains. “We were getting through slurry scraper rubbers every three months on the sand, whereas now with EnviroBed, they last over a year. Sand was also building up in the slurry tanks.”
In January 2022, Ed trialled EnviroBed paper bedding on top of his existing sand beds. After six months, he was so impressed with the results that he made a full transition the following year. The change from sand meant they could re-groove the whole shed and put in a separated slurry system with a screw press.
Today, the milking herd of 180 Holstein Friesians—averaging 10,000 litres—lie on deep EnviroBed, while the heifers are on a shallow bed of EnviroBed paper bedding mixed with sawdust.
“We top up with EnviroBed three times a week—Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Raking is a key part of the process, it keeps the bedding fluffy and long-lasting,” says Ed.
He adds, “The main benefits are cow cleanliness, far less wear and tear on machinery, and fewer deliveries—we’re now using one artic load of EnviroBed a month instead of a load of sand a week.”
“Teats are also easier to clean—they stay softer, and the bedding comes away easily.”
EnviroBed paper bedding is available from EnviroSystems in artic walking floors/tippers, 8 wheelers and bags on pallets.
Visit the EnviroBed info page here.
