The Rural Voice, 2000-01, Page 12BARN
RENOVATIONS
• Renovations to
farm buildings #
• Concrete Work Z.
• Manure Tanks
• Using a Bobcat Skid Steer
w/hydraulic hammer, bucket,
six -way blade & backhoe
DAIRY FARMERS
NEW TO ONTARIO
The ARTEX line of dairy
stabling equipment is now
available from Beuermann's.
Canadian -made.
Give us a call.
* ALL WEATHER SHELTERS
BEUERMANN
CONSTRUCTION
R.R. #5 BRUSSELS
519-887-9598
MTI SATELLITE
RECEPTION INC.
at Ferndale
Canadian Satellite
Systems available
ExpressVu or
StarChoice
519-793-3251
1-800-265-8316
Hwy. #6 at Ferndale
CaII for information
8 THE RURAL VOICE
Scrap Book
Bark cheap but not good for bedding
Bark waste from paper mills is a
plentiful commodity in Ontario but
researchers at University of Guelph
say it may not be safe or economical
for cattle bedding.
According to a study comparing
the suitability for animal bedding of
screened, aged bark and wood
shavings, the study found higher
levels of fecal coliforms and
Streptococcus in aged bark bedding.
The study was conducted by Dennis
McKnight, Jonathan Morgan and Paul
Sharpe of Kemptville College.
The presence of higher bacteria
counts in the bark manure may
increase the incidence of mastitis,
making it inappropriate for bedding
lactating dairy cows.
"An enormous volume of screened
aged bark has accumulated over the
past 10 years," said McKnight. "It's
just waiting to be used or disposed of
in an environmentally sound manner.
But bedding doesn't appear to be a
good option."
McKnight and his team conducted
the research during a 42 -day summer
trial period using 24 Holstein heifers.
The heifers were randomly assigned to
four pens in a traditional open -front
beef barn in which the bark and wood
shavings were used as bedding in
alternating pens.
In each pen, bedding materials
were added as needed to keep the
heifers clean throughout the trial
period, all manure was removed,
weighed, sampled for analysis of dry
matter, nitrogen, macrominerals and
bacteria. Using a blind smell test,
three people assessed the acceptability
of bedding material odour before and
after the materials were used.
The researchers also discovered the
bark was unable to provide the same
moisture absorbing capabilities as
shavings, which suggests it may not
be an acceptable option for animal
bedding during the winter. The results
of the study confirmed shavings
absorbed 150 per cent of their original
weight as water while the bark held
only 50 per cent.
At the completion of the trial
period, the shavings were still able to
absorb nearly 50 per cent while the
bark dropped to only 20 per cent, in
spite of the fact that up to four times
as much bark was added to the pens to
maintain equal levels of cleanliness.
The screened, aged bark manure also
tended to pack more. For the bark to
be cost-effective, McKnight said, its
price would have to be less than 25
per cent of the delivered cost of
shavings.
The bark did come out on top in the
blind smell test. The test panel
favoured the odour of the bark over
the shavings, even after the bark had
been used in the 42 -day trial period.
The researchers are also looking at the
bark as a compost amendment,
however it requires external nitrogen
to effectively decompose.°
-- Source: University of Guelph Dairy
Research Pipeline
Ethanol from biomass coming on line
At least four North American companies are preparing to prove that
conversion of cornstalks, straw and other cellulose -containing plants into alcohol
can be profitable, the Wall Street Journal reports.
One of the energy-saving technologies to break down tough crop residue is a
fungus which U.S. soldiers encountered in the Pacific during World War II. They
called it "jungle rot", but one microbiologist recognized its potential for
producing enzymes which cracked cellulose into sugars, fast. This is the key
technique used in an eastern Ontario ethanol plant designed to create ethanol
from cornstalks.
Another refinery is setting up to convert sugarcane stalks, called bagasse in
the sugar industry, into ethanol. In California, a new refinery near Sacramento
will convert rice straw into ethanol. One of the reasons the plant is needed is that
growers can no longer burn rice straw because of clean air regulations.
Even if petroleum remains abundant, ethanol fuels could remain viable as a
means of reducing pollutants from gasoline and diesel combustion.°
— Source: Landowner Stewardship newsletter