Veolia has launched a new poultry bedding product for farmers. The latest innovation uses waste streams from the paper industry to produce Agribed, a bedding material for chickens and turkeys. By converting this unused by-product the new material will boost the circular economy in the farming industry, and has the potential to deliver greater cost savings, the company said.
Veolia is currently supplying the product to 300 poultry farms and with a target of meeting one quarter of the UK demand. The company takes the discarded fibre, from the pulping processes in paper and cardboard mills, and transforms this into a kiln-dried paper crumb bedding for use in poultry sheds. Approved by Defra, the Environment Agency and Red Tractor for use as animal bedding, the product is delivered under Veolia’s Arden brand.
Agribed is sterile and helps to optimise bird health and welfare where the key benefit of its high absorbency ensures that poultry sheds stay drier and friable for longer. The material also acts as a very effective insulator, and the composition and pH in paper crumb reduces ammonia and reduces pododermatitis.
After use the product has potential bio energy applications where it can be used to provide renewable heat for poultry farms which lowers the carbon footprint, and the resultant ash can be used as a soil conditioner.