Evidence based solutions to Unhealthy dusty stalls. Here is the science behind the bedding.

      

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

  • The University of Vermont tested water absorbency rates of cardboard bedding at four to six times greater than dry sawdust and ten times greater than straw or hay.            (click chart)
  • Colorado State University Department of Animal Science’s study of cardboard versus sawdust as bedding for horses concluded that “cardboard bedding was more absorbent, had a cleaner appearance and had lower aerial ammonia levels than the sawdust bedding.”
  • A University of Florida Horse Research Center study comparing cardboard bedding material against straw and wood shavings stated, “The horses on straw required an average of 17.9 lbs. per day.  Those on wood shavings required 39.5 lbs. per day, while those on cardboard required only 12.2 lbs. per day.”
  • The University of Delaware in conjunction with The University of Florida showed that cardboard bedding had much lower ammonia levels than straw or pine shavings. (click chart)                                                                                                          Laurent Couetil – Purdue University wrote:  To main approaches can help reduce exposure of the horse’s airways to respirable particles. The 1st approach is to use feedstuffs and bedding that generate low dust and endotoxin concentrations.  The 2nd approach is to increase removal of airborne particles and noxious gases by improving ventilation in the building.                                                                                                                                 Changing bedding material to cardboard can cut respirable dust concentrations in half and reduce concentration to negligible concentrations. Replacing hay feed, straw and wood bedding to cardboard bedding and a complete pelleted diet  was shown to decrease the respirable dust burden by 97% and to decrease aeroallergen challenge.                                                                                                                                                               
  • The chart below is a comparison of how most bedding substrates compare with each other in many market factors.  Now that you have the information you can best choose which is best for the health of your barn.  Not just your horses, but YOU, your dogs and cats.  Breathing is not overrated.      (click chart)                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

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