07 Nov Why adding biologicals to livestock bedding & effluent piles boosts profitability
When managing an intensive farming system, keeping your animals healthy is not the right thing to do. It also ensures your farm’s productivity and profitability.
A recent CSIRO article highlighted the financial benefits of good animal welfare practices on farms, including:
- reduced mortality
- improved animal health
- enhanced product quality
- increased disease resistance and less reliance on medications
- fewer foodborne and animal-to-human diseases
- greater job satisfaction for farmers
- the ability to command higher prices from consumers
One innovative way to improve animal care is using biological stimulants in bedding materials and treating wastewater and effluent on the farm.
7 benefits of adding biological stimulants to livestock bedding
Biological stimulants, composed of beneficial microorganisms, enhance the quality of bedding by fostering a balanced microbial ecosystem. This positively impacts animal health, decreases disease incidence, and creates a more comfortable living environment.
They also improve waste breakdown, reduce odours, and promote nutrient recycling, leading to a more sustainable farming operation.
Here are seven tangible benefits of biological stimulants for intensive farming operations:
- Improved animal health: Biological stimulants help reduce pathogens in bedding, leading to healthier animals and lower disease rates.
- Enhanced waste breakdown: They promote microbial activity that effectively breaks down waste, minimising odours and harmful ammonia levels.
- Better bedding quality: They improve the structure and moisture retention of bedding, improving comfort for animals.
- Reduced environmental impact: By breaking down waste more efficiently, biological stimulants help minimise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from farms.
- Higher productivity: Healthier animals typically grow faster and produce more, enhancing profitability.
- Cost savings: Better bedding and animal health can lower veterinary costs and reduce the frequency of bedding changes.
- Nutrient recycling: Some stimulants can enhance nutrient availability in manure, making it a more effective fertiliser for crop production.
How biological stimulants work
Biological stimulants improve bedding, overall farm conditions and can be used to create cost-effective fertiliser through:
- Increased microbial activity to speed up waste breakdown: Beneficial microorganisms break down organic matter in bedding, enhancing decomposition and reducing waste buildup.
- Pathogen suppression to reduce disease: Beneficial microbes outcompete harmful pathogens for resources, effectively lowering their populations and reducing disease risk among animals.
- Nutrient cycling – creates cost-effective fertiliser: As organic material decomposes, nutrients are released, making them more available for plant uptake when used as fertiliser.
- Moisture regulation: Some stimulants improve the bedding’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, creating a better environment for microbial activity and improving animal comfort.
- Odour reduction: Biological stimulants can significantly reduce the odours associated with manure by promoting the breakdown of waste and suppressing harmful bacteria.
- Helps boost soil health: When manure is applied to crops, the improved microbial profile can enhance soil fertility and structure, promoting healthier plants.
Biolink products support your farm’s profitability and animal health
At Biolink 4 Plants & Animals, we aim to help Australian farmers achieve sustainability and profitability while fostering a better environment for farm owners, animals, and society. Here’s our recommendation on using biologicals to create a better environment for your animals, clean up your farm waste, and create cost-effective fertiliser…
BIOLOGICALS FOR LIVESTOCK BEDDING
We recommend using Biolink™ Bio-Hum on your livestock bedding. Bio-Hum Concentrated Fertiliser Additive is a 100% natural probiotic fertiliser additive that stimulates growth and soil health on your farm. In addition to our special blend of powerful live microbials, Bio-Hum contains a humic fulvic powder microbial concentrate blend that boosts micronutrient uptake and plant growth.
It’s perfect for animal bedding and feed pens, including poultry sheds, pig-holding pens, dairy barns, and calf-rearing facilities.
The soluble humic fulvic acid in Bio-Hum holds essential nutrients in bedding and feed pens without causing issues for livestock. This means they’re not lost in the atmosphere or through leaching into the soil and waterways. You can read more about how to use Bio-Hum in our earlier article here.
BIOLOGICALS FOR WASTE TREATMENT and TO MAKE FERTILISER:
Biolink™ Ignition Effluent Digester & Compost Starter is a natural, microbial-based fertiliser containing six powerful microbial groups plus humic fulvic acid.
Once you’ve used Bio-Hum to break down the waste and nutrients in the bedding, you’re ready to create your own fertiliser for use on pastures and crops.
How to Use Biolink™ Ignition for composting bedding & animal waste
- Mix 10 kgs of the blend to every 10 tonnes of bedding material.
- Spread Ignition over the compost material. Turn the compost well to blend in.
- Regularly turn your compost; we recommend at least once a day.
- The compost should be ready to spread on your crops or pasture three weeks after the initial application.
Safety note: Always avoid contact with skin and eyes and avoid inhaling.
Biological stimulants create a more balanced ecosystem, leading to healthier animals and more sustainable farming practices.
If you’d like more information about using Biolink products on your farm, please contact us.