Regardless of what type of bedding you use, it is vital that calf sheds are kept scrupulously clean at all times in order to prevent the spread of potentially-fatal gastro bugs. The rumen in a calf is completely non-functional at birth and can take up to 12 weeks to fully develop. This process can be sped up by offering your calves a starter feed, along with water and dry forage as soon as they are off colostrum, but in the interim they are very susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, especially when penned together in large numbers.
Clean, clean, and clean again.
It is very important to thoroughly clean and disinfect pens in between calf intakes. All organic matter will need to be disposed of, water and feed troughs cleaned, and surfaces sprayed with disinfectant.

Give them room to move.
Each calf needs a minimum of 1.5 msq in order to be able to move around freely, play, and develop as they would out at pasture.
It is also important to note that overcrowding reduces airflow, causes stress, and increases the likelihood of illness developing.

Sick calves belong in the sick bay.
On this note it goes without saying that sick calves should be isolated immediately and not returned to the group until they have been clear of diarrhoea for 24 hours.
So which bedding material should I use?
STRAW
- Pros: excellent insulating properties, so ideal in cold climates or in situations where there are very few calves per pen. Easy to source.
- Cons: can be very hard to keep clean as tends to set hard when wet. Can result in calves eating contaminated forage and falling ill.
SAND
- Pros: easy to keep clean and provides good drainage when placed underneath a softer material.
- Cons: unsuitable for top bedding as very cold to the touch. Calves like to spend a lot of time lying down and will suffer greatly if the surface is uncomfortable.
SHAVINGS
- Pros: easy to keep clean, comfortable to lie on.
- Cons: are often treated with chemicals, which will render them unsuitable as a bedding material. Can be hard to source.
SAWDUST
- Pros: warm, drains well and easy to keep clean.
- Cons: can be dusty, which may lead to respiratory problems. Due to being a very light material, sawdust also has a tendency to contaminate water and feed troughs.
WOODCHIP
- Pros: relatively warm, drains well and easy to keep clean.
- Cons: unsuitable for single calf pens in cold areas as won’t provide enough warmth ( note that we don’t recommend calves be kept singly as it will cause significant distress).

When placed up against other popular bedding materials, woodchip is a superior product for calf pens, in that it’s an untreated product, is relatively warm, drains well and is easy to keep clean. Parkside Lime in Oamaru have recently purchased a brand new state-of-the-art woodchipper and we are now offering dry woodchips to dairy farmers in the Waitaki, South Canterbury and North Otago regions. We highly recommend you preorder your product, as we expect demand to be high as we get closer to March.
Call Shane at Parkside Lime on 03 433 1134 or email sales@oamarustone.co.nz today and help your calves to thrive in 2025.