Joe Hogan
K. Larry Smith
Sereana Howard
Joe E. Heimlich
This fact sheet, one in a series, reports data from a study that examined newsprint as an alternative bedding material for farm animals. The study was funded in part by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Litter Prevention and Recycling.
The study addressed newsprint with black ink and examined the supply of newsprint in Ohio, effects of the paper as a bedding, as well as the absorption and decomposition. The bedding was evaluated on management and disposal, animal behavior, and aesthetics.
The newsprint bedding was shredded into small bales. Evaluators commented on the ease of use, stall maintenance, storage and disposal of the newsprint. They also observed animal behavior such as grazing on the newsprint, grooming of the animals and insulation qualities. The general appearance of barns and fields was qualitatively assessed as to dust levels and stall and barn appearance.
One major concern for American livestock operations is safe bedding for animals. Newspapers have been used over time as bedding for small animals, but not until recently were newspapers considered for large animal bedding. The toxicity of newsprint ink is addressed in, CDFS- 122. With virtually no toxic concerns of newsprint, the feasibility of use for large animals has been the topic of different studies.
Mastitis is defined as inflammation of the mammary glands. When the mammary glands are infected, the teats become rigid decreasing milk quality and production. Mastitis is commonly caused by a bacterial infection.
Bacteria have different origins. Some bacteria are normally found on animals and humans because the bacteria are necessary for everyday living. Staphylococcal bacteria are normally found on mammalian skin. Streptococcal bacteria are of fecal origin and associated with organic materials, such as corn or straw. Coliform bacteria are also of fecal origin. Klesiella species is a specific type of coliform bacteria that was singled out in this study because its evidence in bedding is directly related to mastitis.
A need exists for an inexpensive, easily accessible organic bedding material that does not support growth of mastitis pathogens and is practical for use with most manure management systems. Bedding materials are primary sources of environmental mastitis pathogens for exposure to bovine teats. The number and type of bacteria in bedding are related to the number of bacteria on teat ends and rates of clinical mastitis by coliform bacteria. Bacterial counts differ among bedding materials. Organic bedding materials contain significantly higher bacterial counts than do inorganic materials. Inorganic bedding decreases teat exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens compared to organic bedding. However, inorganic bedding materials are incompatible with manure handling systems used in many dairies.
Recycled newspaper is relatively inexpensive and can be used with most manure management systems. An important question is whether there are advantages to the use of recycled paper in reducing exposure of the teat ends to mastitis pathogens compared to other organic materials. Laboratory studies have shown that recycled chopped newsprint supported lower bacterial growth than did other materials commonly used as bedding. This experiment compared bacterial counts associated with recycled newspaper, wood shavings, and pelleted corn cobs used as bedding for lactating dairy cows.
An experiment was conducted at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Dairy to investigate the use of recycled, chopped newsprint as tie-stall bedding for lactating dairy cows. Bacterial counts associated with recycled, chopped newsprint, hard wood shavings, and pelleted corn cob bedding materials were compared in a nine week trial. Newspaper was chopped into 2 x 4 inch sections using a straw chopper.
Bacterial counts in pelleted corn cob and chopped newsprint bedding were similar. On the other hand, Klebsiella species and staphylococcal counts in chopped newsprint were greater than in wood shavings. Coliform and streptococcal counts did not differ between chopped newsprint and wood shavings bedding. The bacterial count on the teat skin did increase as bacterial counts in bedding increased. Transfer of bacteria from the bedding to the teat skin may have been associated with bedding particle size and adherence. Corn cob pellets tended to crumble into fine granular material and adhere to teats more readily than larger particle sizes of chopped newspaper and wood shavings.
This difference in adherence of bedding to teats was evident by the fact that bacterial counts in chopped newsprint and pelleted corn cob bedding did not differ, but the number of mastitis pathogens on the teat skin was less for cows bedded on the chopped newsprint than those bedded on the pelleted corn cobs. Teats of cows bedded on chopped newsprint and wood shavings had similar coliform counts. Streptococcal and staphylococcal populations on the teats of cows bedded on chopped newsprint were greater than those for cows bedded on the wood shavings.
Recycled chopped newsprint can be used as an acceptable alternative bedding for lactating dairy cows. However, there appears to be little advantage to the use of recycled newsprint in reducing exposure of the teat ends to mastitis pathogens compared to the use of other organic materials.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868