Tips To Reduce Leaking Straw Bedding

1. Ensure no water is entering the shed eg water troughs, gutters, etc.
2. Where available first put in a free draining base eg rape straw, sawdust, woodchips, etc.
3. Make a permanent or temporary scraped feed passage along the trough. This can simply be made out of sleepers, half tree trunks, etc.  The objective is to stop the dung/slurry being pushed into the bed each time the passage is scraped out, as well as reducing the amount of straw dragged into the passage way.
4. Maximise ventilation to remove damp air ASAP.
5. Alternative bedding materials could include woodchips currently produced for woodburning heating systems.

Basil Lowman, basil.lowman@sac.co.uk