Bedding Alternatives and Windrowing Programs

Introduction Reports of bedding shortages in the poultry industry and escalating costs can be traced back more than 60 years. This situation has often occurred in the more concentrated broiler producing areas such as the Delmarva Peninsula and the Shenandoah Valley. With rising production capacity over the years the demand for bedding by poultry industry increased. At the same time there have been other competing uses for conventional bedding materials (e.g. pine shavings and sawdust) and decreased supplies of these materials. The bedding situation has become critical in some regions of the USA. Part of this issue relates to higher seasonal demand by the poultry industry during peak cleanout periods. Temporary disruption of supplies due to weather or sawmill equipment breakdown during peak demand periods exacerbates the problem. The recent downturn in the construction industry with reductions in the output of shavings and sawdust from sawmills has caused a nationwide shortage for agricultural usage. Additionally, newer milling technologies has reduced the output of bedding materials and those sawmills that have not adopted more efficient milling methods face economic pressures and many have closed. The long term implications of urban sprawl and completing uses (e.g. energy, horse bedding, etc.) for these materials is a major concern for the poultry industry. A recent informal survey by the National Chicken Council found many production managers throughout the east coast and south expressed concerns with bedding supplies, costs and quality. They also felt the situation would only worsen over time.