Techniques for making fermented bedding in pig farming

The method of raising livestock using biological bedding has many advantages such as self-digesting feces and urine, saving on cleaning costs, electricity, water, pigs do not need to bathe, reducing diseases, growing quickly... especially contributing to environmental protection, has opened up a direction for sustainable livestock development.

Pig farming on biological bedding (Illustration photo)

1. Area, construction materials and structure of the barn

- The area of ​​the barn should not be larger than 20m2 and not smaller than 10m2. However, through research, the area of ​​the barn should be 20m2 to raise about 15 pigs.

- Open barn structure, double roof.

- When building a new barn, the floor must be compacted, not cemented. If it is an old barn that has been renovated, it is possible to make floating bedding on the ground, the cement floor remains the same but holes must be punched (holes with a diameter of 4cm, every 30cm punched 1 hole) or the old floor must be broken to make a new barn floor.

- Design a water spray system to cool and keep the mattress moist.

- Automatic feeding troughs and drinking fountains are placed on opposite sides to increase animal movement, helping to mix the litter, which is beneficial for fermentation.

- The feeding trough must be at least 20cm higher than the bedding surface to avoid litter falling into the food.

- Build a water trough under the automatic faucet to prevent water from flowing into the mattress.

2. Fermentation pad design

a. Types of fermentation pads

Fermentation pads include 3 types:

- Underground bedding type: Dig deep into the ground to a depth equal to the thickness of the bedding.
- Above-ground pad type: Build the surrounding wall slightly higher than the thickness of the pad.
- Half-underground bedding type: Digging underground only requires a depth equal to half the thickness of the bedding.

Note: Depending on the terrain, whether the land is high or low compared to the highest water level outside, choose the appropriate type of cushion. Make sure the cushion is always dry and not damaged by water from the outside.

b. Thickness of bedding

Cage bedding thickness is about 50-70cm

Note: The thickness of the bedding often decreases due to compression during fermentation, so when renewing, people often increase the thickness by 20%. For example, if the required thickness of the bedding is 60cm, then when making, the thickness must be increased by another 12cm. The bedding needs to be added annually if the height decreases.

c. Raw materials for making fillers

Standards: Raw materials with high fiber content, inertness, not easily softened and have a certain amount of nutrients, non-toxic, non-irritating. The best are sawdust, wood chips, then peanut shells, corn cobs, rice husks, crushed corn stalks, cottonseed hulls, cotton stalks.

Raw materials such as peanut shells, corn cobs, corn stalks, crushed cottonseed hulls with size 3-5mm

d. Method of making

To make a 20m2 cage with 60cm thick bedding

- Ingredients: Rice husk and sawdust (quantity must be spread to a thickness of 60cm) + corn flour: 15kg + BALASA N01 preparation: 2kg.

- Preparation work

+ How to prepare 200 liters of yeast solution: Put 1 kg of yeast and 10 kg of corn flour into a barrel, then add 200 liters of clean water (if the outside temperature is below 150C, use warm water), stir well, cover tightly. Leave in a warm place for more than 24 hours to use, in winter it can last up to 2 days. The yeast solution must be prepared 1-2 days in advance.

+ How to process corn flour (process 5-7 hours before starting to make bedding): Take about 2 liters of previously made yeast solution and add it to 5kg of corn flour, rub until evenly moist, then leave in a warm place.

- How to make cushion:

+ Step 1: Spread a 30cm thick layer of rice husks.

+ Step 2: Use a nozzle to spray clean water (rain) onto the rice husk layer until it reaches 40% humidity (take a handful of rice husk in your hand, observe that the rice husk absorbs water, squeeze it tightly and do not feel water wetting your hand). Note that when spraying water, use a rake to stir the rice husk evenly and flatten the surface.

+ Step 3: Water 100 liters of yeast solution evenly, then spread a portion of the corn residue in the fermentation solution evenly on the surface of the rice husk layer.

+ Step 4: Continue to spread a 30cm thick layer of sawdust on top of the rice husk layer.

+ Step 5: Spray clean water evenly on the surface until the humidity reaches about 20%. Note that when spraying water, use a rake to stir the sawdust evenly. Test by observing that the sawdust absorbs water and becomes dark, then take a handful of sawdust and squeeze it hard. If the water feels a little wet in your hand but the sawdust particles are still loose and separate, then it is done.

+ Step 6: Spread 5 kg of treated corn flour evenly over the sawdust layer.

+ Step 7: Water the remaining 100 liters of yeast solution evenly over the sawdust layer, then sprinkle the remaining corn residue evenly over the sawdust layer.

+ Step 8: Use your hands to rub evenly over the entire surface of the sawdust layer.

+ Step 9: Cover the entire surface with canvas or nylon.

+ Step 10: Fermentation.

Rainy season: after finishing the bedding, you can put the pigs in immediately because it's cold and fermentation is slow, so take advantage of the animals' body temperature to increase fermentation.

Dry season: The first 1-2 days of strong fermentation reach temperatures above 400C, below a depth of 30cm can reach a temperature of 700C but maintained for a short time. After a few days, the temperature gradually decreases, dig down to 30cm, the temperature is about 400C, there is no smell of raw materials, has a characteristic light wine aroma and can be used. After fermentation is complete, remove the tarpaulin, scrape the surface layer (about 20cm deep) to loosen, leave to air for 1 day before releasing the pigs.

According to bannhanong.vn - LY