Evaluation of beef manure production and bedding removal time in bedded pack barn

The current study was conducted to clarify the amount of manure production from Korean native beef cattle (Hanwoo) raised in bedded pack barn and the suitable bedding replacement time. Total forty heads of Hanwoo (about 412 kg body weight) were raised in five pens (7.5 m! per head) for 76 days. Average daily manure production without bedding was 13.4 kg/head. The amount of daily manure production including the bedding was 14.9 kg/head, which is 14% lesser than conventional S. Korean Hanwoo manure production unit (17.3 kg/head). During the first 30 days, moisture content of sawdust beddings were considerably increased up to 89% of water holding capacity (WHC) of sawdust. It maintained a very stable level between 30 to 50 days. Academically, 30 days after adding fresh bedding seems to be appropriate replacement time based on WHC. Whereas, from a practical standpoint, maximum 50 days should be acceptable by considering several other factors, such as the expense of purchasing bedding material, the cleanliness of the feeding environment, and the availability of manure treatment.