Results: Change In Nutrients and Moisture

Nutrient analysis was made on the bedding materials at the start of the project (initial), grab samples from stalls at the end of week one and week two, and grab samples from the accumulated manure piles for each bedding material were taken at the end of week two.

Table 2 shows that the change in percent of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potash were essentially the same for both types of bedding material. The initial values for the pelleted bedding were lower in P and K than in the sawdust.

The major difference in the analysis was in the amount of solids, which also represents the amount of moisture in the samples. The initial moisture level for the sawdust was 55% while the pellets had a value of 4%. The sawdust started with over 10 times as much moisture as the pellets.

At the end of the project, the manure pile from the pellet bedded stalls had a moisture level of 50.2%, still not as wet as the initial sawdust moisture level. At the end of the project the sawdust manure pile had a moisture level of 63.9%. The pelleted bedding picked up 45% more moisture compared to the sawdust bedding that picked up only 8.5% more moisture. This indicates that the pelleted bedding had not been fully utilized as an absorbent material.

Table 2: Analysis of Sawdust and Pellet Bedding
	%N	P	K	%Total Solid	% Moisture
Sawdust
Initial	0.00	10%7	46	44.6	55.4
Manure pile	0.51	10%20	1790	36.1	63.9
Difference	0.51	5223	1744	-8.5	8.5
Percent change	100	85	97
Pellet
Initial	0.03	571	23	95.6	4.4
Manure pile	0.54	3840	1210%	49.8	50.2
Difference	0.51	3269	1237	-45.8	45.8
Percent change	94	85	98
Comparison of Sawdust & Pellets	Similar	Similar	Similar	-37	37