He Uses Grinder/Mixer To Chop Paper For Bedding

He Uses Grinder/Mixer To Chop Paper For Bedding LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 21-2-31 A feed grinder/mixer can be used to chop old newspapers into low-cost livestock bed-ding, according to Clarksville, Iowa, dairy-man Dave Bolin. "We use our New Holland 353 grinder/ mixer to recycle newspapers, magazines, and junk mail into bedding in place of straw in our operation," says Bolin, who milks 70 Holsteins, Jerseys and Guernseys. "Paper takes the place of about 10 tons of straw per year. It saves us money and keeps old paper out of landfills as well." Bolin gets the paper free from neighbors, the community recycling center, and the lo-cal newspaper. To grind it, he uses a 3/4-in. screen, resulting in quarter-size pieces of paper that he feels are more absorbent than long shreds of paper. He keeps the grinder/mixer's 8-in. dia. unloading auger running as he grinds the pa-per, discharging it into open calf sheds and hutches. "It takes about the same time to bed the calves with paper as it does with straw," he says, "but we save the time we used to spend baling straw." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Bolin, 30707 180th St., Clarksville, Iowa 50619 (ph 319 278-4288).

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