Cow Pillows Keep Bedding Dry, Fresh

Cow Pillows Keep Bedding Dry, Fresh DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 12-1-29 At least two manufacturers of plastic bags have "tooled up" to meet mounting demand for Cow Pillows, the latest new wrinkle in "creature comfort" for dairy cows. Here's the idea You stuff 4 by 8 ft. plastic polypropylene bags with bedding material such as straw, sawdust, wood shavings, or rice hulls to make "cow pillows" about 4 in. thick and, when folded up, 4 ft. wide and 6 ft. long. "They show real promise for cutting down on bedding costs, and for keeping bedding dry and fresh," says University of Missouri extension dairy specialist Ron Young. "Some dairymen in northeast Missouri have used stuffed pillows for more than a year and the cows haven't torn them yet. The biggest question is whether the seams will hold up." The key advantage of the plastic bags, which are made of polypropylene material four times heavier than that used for plastic feed or garbage bags, is that they shed water and keep bedding thy. "Some dairymen estimate that they're spending $8 to $10 a year to bed their cows, and they have to put in new bedding every 10 to 14 days. If these bags last two or three years, they'll be a whole lot cheaper than the bedding and labor now necessary with freestalls. We recommend that dairy farmers try a few pillows to see how they work before they the barn with them," says Young Installation of the pillows takes only a few minutes. You stuff them, then close them by folding the top 2 ft. overand bolting the folded end to the brisket board at the front of each freestall. Cost of the plastic polypropylene 4 by 8 ft. bags is right at $15 each. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup: Jerry Bassman, Commercial Bag and Textile Co., 2724 Second Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50313 (ph 515 282-1248). Or, FARM SHOW Followup, Mike Miller, Miller Bag Co., P.O. Box 1125, 861 E. Hennepin, Minneapolis, Minn. 55458 (ph 612 378-3200);

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