He Used Sand To Bed His Cows

He used sand to bed his cows ENERGY Alternative Fuels 14-4-22 Sand wouldn't be too many farmers' first choice for growing crops, but for bedding cows, sand can't be beat, says Steve Hasel. According to a report by Jane Fyksen, in Agri-View newspaper, the Lake Mills dairy-man (along with his dad, Eugene, and brother, Jim) swears by sand in their free stall barn. They've been using it for the cows for 11 years, after first trying it out on heifers. The Hasels milk 150 Holsteins. Although alleys and curbs are cemented, the stalls are not. The 8 to 15 in. of sand is put over a silty, clay base so moisture can run through. If it's managed right, Hasel says the sand doesn't all have to be removed each time the stalls are cleaned. They add a skid loader bucket full per stall or less every two weeks. The Hasels use masonry sand because stones in coarser material previously caused abcesses in cows' hooves. They buy sand by the ton from a local contractor for about $12.25. They use about 40 tons a month. Hasel says he likes the convenience of it. A phone call and it's delivered the next day or two. The Hasels say not only are the cows super comfortable, but sand prevents bacteria from growing because it dries so fast. The herd, which averages 21,969 lbs. of milk and 829 lbs. of fat, typically runs a somatic cell count of 120,000. Hasel says the cows aren't sandy when they come into the parlor, except for the occasional cow that lets down a pool of milk while she's still in the free stall barn. Manure is scraped from the barn alleys to a manure pit at the end of the barn. Any sand that gets scraped with it settles out at the edge of the pit. "The manure stays very liquid with sand," says Hasel. Manure is pumped from the pit out to the field where it's injected. Hasel says there's not enough sand spread to worry about buildup on fields.

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