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- Title
The Effect of Different Bedding Materials on Hygiene in Calf Housing.
- Authors
Witkowska, Dorota; Ponieważ, Aneta; Rychlica, Katarzyna; Murawska, Daria; Matusevičius, Paulius
- Abstract
The type and quality of bedding material significantly influence the health and welfare of farm animals that are kept in buildings. The basic function of bedding in calf housing is to absorb moisture and toxic gases, keep the floor dry and shape a beneficial microclimate (1). One of the most popular bedding materials in many countries is straw. Some research indicates that dust levels can be significantly higher in facilities using straw in comparison with alternative bedding materials, whereas dust is an important carrier of microorganisms. Given that calves' immunity builds for a relatively long time, this group of animals may be especially exposed to diseases caused high microbiological contamination. The choice of high-quality bedding material may improve hygiene in calf housing. For this reason, the aim of our study was to determine the effect of classic straw and 6 alternative bedding materials (light pellets, medium sawdust, peat, chopped straw, flax, hemp) on the levels of microbial contamination of air. The calves were kept in accordance with the Polish standards (Journal of Laws 2010, No. 56, item 344) in identically equipped and separated boxes (8 calves on each type of bedding). Quantitative analyses of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and fungi were conducted every 2 days for a period of 2 weeks. Air samples (5 L) were collected with an air sampler MAS-100 Eco® (Merck Corp.) at 5 locations in each box. Bacteria and fungi were cultured on solid media (TSA and Sabouraud) and incubated at 35°C for 24 h (bacteria) or 25°C for 120 h (fungi). Microbial counts were expressed in cfu/m3 of air after correction (Feller's formula). After logarithm transformation, the data were normally distributed (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) and analyzed by ANOVA (StatSoft). Considering bacterial contamination of air, the best quality (P < 0.01) characterized peat, light pellet, and sawdust (4.57, 4.59 and 4.64 log10 cfu/m3, respectively). The most contaminated air was registered using traditional straw (P < 0.01; 4.79 log10 cfu/m3). Chopped bedding materials (straw, flax, and hemp) had an intermediate effect. Whereas in the case of fungi, chopped flax and hemp had the best impact on the quality of air (P < 0.01; 3.96 and 4.09 log10 cfu/m3). The fungal contamination levels were the highest using light pellet and peat (P < 0.01; 4.50 and 4.47 log10 cfu/m3). It could be concluded that bedding material significantly influences microbial air quality and hygiene standards in calf housing.
- Subjects
BEDDING; CALVES; MOISTURE; AIR quality; ANIMAL housing
- Publication
Veterinarija ir Zootechnika, 2021, Vol 79, Issue 2, p74
- ISSN
1392-2130
- Publication type
Article