Use of Dried Manure Solids as Bedding for Dairy Cows

Livestock bedding can be a costly component of dairy farming with significant environmental and economic implications. The use of dried manure solids (DMS) for bedding is a common practice in California, but conditions in the colder, wetter Northeast make it more challenging.

Our specialists from the Cornell Waste Management Institute will be evaluating this practice in NY by collecting and analyzing dried manure solids bedding samples 4 times in a one-year period, assessing seasonal changes. They will also provide business planning assistance (in cooperation with FarmNet) to help farmers assess feasibility and profitability for their operations and locations.

If you are currently using dried manure solids as a source of bedding and would like to learn more about this project, please contact our specialists:

Jean Bonhotal & Ellen Z. Harrison
Cornell Waste Management Institute
100 Rice Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
607 255-8576, fax 607 255-8207
jb29@cornell.edu, ezh1@cornell.edu
 

For more information, please read our proposal. (Download PDF)