Expanding the use of bio-bedding in poultry farming to reduce environmental pollution

Nowadays, many farms have applied biological bedding, contributing to reducing environmental pollution. By-products from bedding continue to be used for fields, creating a source of organic agricultural products, helping farmers increase selling prices and economic efficiency.

Livestock farm in An Khanh commune uses biological bedding to reduce environmental pollution.

Clean farm, high production efficiency

Hai Phong City currently has more than 2,300 farms and nearly 37,000 small-scale livestock households. According to statistics from the Department of Fisheries, Livestock and Veterinary Medicine of Hai Phong, from the current number of livestock and poultry, it is estimated that each year about 399,000 tons of solid waste are generated, including bedding, excess or spilled food. If there are no treatment measures, it will cause pollution to the livestock environment. However, currently, livestock farmers, especially poultry farmers, have quite effective environmental treatment measures by using biological bedding in the barn. This by-product is then reused in the fields, bringing practical results.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai's Egyptian egg-laying chicken farm in Ngoc Lau village (Cam Giang commune) has 4 chicken farms with a scale of 20,000 egg-laying chickens. Ms. Mai said that the farm is designed to be closed, but inside the barns, biological bedding is still used, nearly 20 cm thick. In fact, this biological bedding is made of rice husks and organic solutions to disinfect and deodorize the barn. With this layer of bedding, the chicken manure in the barn no longer has a foul odor. She requires the farm workers to regularly monitor and check, and if any layer of bedding does not function properly, it must be replaced immediately to ensure that the barn is always dry and odorless. The farm sells biological bedding by-products to farmers to use as fertilizer for the fields...

At Mr. Luong Xuan Tuong's broiler farm (An Lao commune), since using biological bedding, Mr. Tuong has had much less trouble with the barn than before. "Previously, cleaning and washing the barn took a lot of time. Since my family learned the experience of making biological bedding, cleaning the barn has become easier, saving labor, the barn is clean, the chickens grow faster and are less susceptible to disease than before," said Mr. Tuong.

According to the report of the Department of Fisheries, Livestock and Veterinary Medicine of Hai Phong, up to now, 90% of large-scale livestock farms in Hai Phong apply biological bedding; 50-60% of farms, 30% of small and retail households apply few households. The reason why small-scale livestock farmers apply this method less is because of the initial investment costs, while recently the price of livestock products fluctuates erratically, especially at times when the price of poultry meat and eggs has dropped sharply, livestock farmers do not make a profit so they do not want to spend money to invest in biological bedding... Along with that, due to the mentality of small-scale livestock farmers, with a small number of livestock, they are still afraid that making biological bedding takes a lot of time and effort...

Workers at an egg-laying chicken farm in Lai Khe commune change biological bedding.

Propaganda and mobilization of livestock breeders to apply

According to Head of Agricultural Engineering Department (Hai Phong Agricultural Extension Center) Vu Duc Hanh, using biological bedding in livestock farming is a sustainable solution to help decompose waste, reduce odors, toxic gases and pathogens in barns, while creating a clean, warm living environment for livestock. This is an economically effective livestock farming method, saving labor, electricity, water costs and minimizing environmental pollution. Therefore, the Center always encourages farms, ranches, and production households to apply biological bedding; take advantage of agricultural extension projects to support livestock farmers to apply this model.

In fact, there was a period when the Hai Phong Agricultural Extension Center supported a number of livestock models using biological bedding made of rice husks and sawdust. Specifically, agricultural extension officers provided technical advice and guided livestock farmers in Nam Do Son ward and some communes to use rice husks and sawdust with a thickness of 20 cm mixed with R30 biological yeast. With this layer of bedding, chicken feces and urine are decomposed, poultry grow quickly, and are less susceptible to disease. Therefore, according to agricultural extension officers, making biological bedding is not difficult, and the investment cost is not high. Livestock households can completely learn from experience and share techniques for making biological bedding for effective livestock farming, minimizing environmental pollution and reducing the risk of disease for poultry flocks.

Deputy Head of the Department of Fisheries, Livestock and Veterinary Medicine of Hai Phong Nguyen Manh Hung also highly appreciated the effectiveness and effects of applying biological bedding in livestock farming, especially effective application in poultry farming. Therefore, according to Mr. Hung, in the coming time, the staff of the department will focus on promoting this model to be widely applied, not only at farms and livestock farms but also to livestock households. The department will take advantage of the city's support policy to support livestock farmers with biological bedding products. This will be a condition to continue to replicate biological bedding models in livestock farming, especially poultry farming, contributing to the good treatment of the livestock environment, helping farmers raise livestock effectively, minimizing environmental pollution.

HUONG AN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nhan-rong-su-dung-dem-lot-sinh-hoc-trong-chan-nuoi-gia-cam-de-giam-o-nhiem-moi-truong-528968.html