Bedding sand?????

[YoungGunCattle]

I have heard of people using sand in their coolers for bedding and i was wondering exactly what type of sand it was and what you think of this idea and any other thoughts on bedding

 

[Will]

I have always heard sand would break off the leg hair.

 

[sizzler14]

Sand doesnt break off the leg hair. Ive used it for two years and seen an incredible difference in hair growth. it keeps the cattle cooler and cleaner. you just blow it out. my catgtle have grown on average about an inch longer hair using sand. the only problem is the build up of ammonia. Keep it cleaned out and every three days or so, get kitty litter and dumb over the sand. gets rid of the ammonia smell.

 

[sizzler14]

and i get pool sand

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

We use washed lime screenings. There is no dust and the bulls can play a bit without making a huge mess!

 

[Steve123]

We used to use sand in our cooler but you can really tell on knees and hocks who uses sand. (rubs the hair off) It is super easy to use. Have a big pile out side the cooler, do your clean-up while they eat in the morning and then thow in 3 or 4 shovels of sand, rack it smooth and wet it down real good. Calves will run over you to get into it.

 

[HF CHARS]

sand wont beat up hair bad if you manage it right,,but way more work than fiber as far as keeping it out of the hair

 

[twulf43]

We use washed lime screenings. There is no dust and the bulls can play a bit without making a huge mess!


where do you get that ?  i have never used sand, only shavings with lime as a base. seems to work well.

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

We have several quarry pits within miles of our farms, so one of our trucks just brings home a load every two weeks or so (having a trucking company in the family helps!). Yes, you do need to be aware that it will dry out knees and hocks, but we just work in some conditioner on their joints  before they go in the sand as part of the daily routine.  Also, having a skid steer that can get into your facilities to do a full bedding replacement every week or so is a must. The up side is there is little waste as it picks out nicely, and stays cool during the summer. On really hot days, we even soak it before the cattle go in for the day. We also find we have fewer flies and bugs when using sand and we can point the fans more directly at the cattle without having serious bedding displacement! It may not be convenient for everybody, but it has worked excellent for us.