Picture credit: Cool Calf
Maintaining top-notch conditions in your cattle cooler room is critical for the health and performance of your show animals. The sneaky culprit, ammonia, can wreak havoc on your animals' well-being.
Ammonia is a byproduct of animal waste, primarily urine, and can become a significant problem in confined places like cattle cooler rooms. It is important to keep the levels under control to minimize animal respiratory and immune system issues.
Here are some tips and tricks to maintain ammonia levels in your cooler room.
Ventilation is Key
Having good ventilation is critical as poor ventilation will cause the ammonia to build up to harmful levels. Adding fans into the room is a great way to create air flow and movement. This will help distribute the ammonia and increase its ability to exit the room. However, make sure your ventilation system is bringing in fresh air instead of simply recycling the air already in your cooler.
Minimizing overcrowding is another technique that will also increase the amount of airflow that is allowed in your cooler room.
Maintain Cleanliness
Manure and used bedding contribute to the amount of ammonia build-up in a cooler room. Creating a schedule to regularly pitch out the bedding can limit this build-up, or adding drying agents can extend bedding life and reduce ammonia.
Having proper drainage is also important to drain the urine out of the room. Allowing the urine to set into the bedding can increase the risk of having ammonia problems. Use absorbent bedding like wood shavings, which can absorb moisture and ammonia, and continuing to replenish bedding will help to create a dry environment for your cattle.
Temperature and Humidity
Warm, humid environments promote the conversion of the nitrogen in the manure into ammonia gas. Keeping the temperature and humidity levels lower in a cooler room will help limit the conversion of nitrogen. Implementing climate control practices in all areas of your barn will help control the ammonia levels in confined spaces.
Reduce Ammonia Odors Fast with Essential Dry
Essential Dry™ is a great product for controlling ammonia levels in indoor environments. It helps neutralize ammonia odors and improve the overall air quality for your livestock. Essential Dry helps reduce the need to change bedding because it is able to absorb moisture to keep the bedding fresher and dryer for long periods of time.
Research proves that Essential Dry can reduce ammonia levels by around 50% in a show barn environment.
It can be applied to both wet and dry bedding with an application rate of 1-2 pounds per 12 x 12-foot area. You can apply it before the shavings are added to the barn or directly on top if they are already present.
Warmer spring weather is right around the corner and Essential Dry is a great product to ensure your cattle rooms stay fresh and safe all season long! Not only will it improve the length of your bedding, but keep your animals as healthy as possible for future shows.
Best,
Delaney Barber