Straw

Straw bedding is most commonly used in the UK and Ireland in open sheds. It’s not favoured for milking cows because bacterial levels can climb and cause mastitis problems but it doesn’t cause significant problems for dry cows indoors. It’s blown into pens or cubicles using a machine daily or several times a week and will be totally cleaned out two or three times a winter. Regularly maintaining pens and keeping enough clean straw in the area is important to keeping animals clean and reducing animal health issues such as mastitis. Availability and cost are a factor.