Use of Bedding Materials in Beef Bedded Manure Packs at Hot and Cold Ambient Temperatures: Effects on Odorous Volatile Organic Compounds and Odor Activity Values

Highlights Aromatic compounds generated 72.6% of the total odor activity values (OAVs) over time. Cold treatments had significantly lower OAVs than hot regardless age bedded pack. Abstract . Beef cattle producers are beginning to raise in confinement facilities such as slatted-floor barns, hoop and mono-slope facilities. Hoop typically use bedding packs part their manure management system, with crop residues being most commonly used material. This study was conducted determine effects material, i.e., corn stover (CS), bean (BS), wheat straw (WS), or pine wood chips (PC), environmental ambient temperature, cold (15°C) (30°C), on concentrations odorous volatile organic (VOCs) air samples collected headspace above lab-scale a 42-day period. Total aromatic compounds, sulfide straight-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain (BCFAs) were measured calculate for each temperature effect. No significant three-way interactions material × pack observed. Significant observed (p = 0.0455 p 0.0083, respectively). The concentration greater all compared treatments, hot-CS hot-WS types (389.83 365.5 ng L-1, respectively) < 0.05) other types, while lowest (87.09 L-1) BS across treatments. from cold-PC (51.69 0.0143) Within similar materials. SCFAs both decreased weeks 4 6. SCFA within 0.0001) WS CS PC but materials at week BCFA containing higher PC. As aged, time although OAV study. Bedding weeks. results indicate that feedlot operators maintaining will achieve greatest overall reduction when using no matter temperature. Keywords: Bedding, Beef, Odor, Volatile compounds.