Teagasc recommends, however, that calves under eight weeks of age get priority for any straw that is available, because straw traps faeces and urine, so pens can be readily cleaned out and disinfected.

Other bedding materials may not provide adequate warmth for young calves.

What are the alternative bedding materials?

They include woodchip, wood shavings, sawdust, and rushes.

Farmers have also successfully used rubber mats in calving pens instead of straw.

A high standard of management is needed for all alternatives to straw bedding.

How would I use woodchip?

There is scope to use woodchip for indoor bedding, although there is little experience of this in Ireland.

The recommendation with woodchip is to initially put a 10 cm layer in place, and to top this up as required, which is generally every seven to 10 days, but that is very dependent on the diet.

Woodchip, in general, is very suitable as bedding, animals stay clean and there is little dust. A 100 cubic metres load weighing approximately 20-25 tonnes will cost approximately €1,230 delivered, including VAT.

What about using peat for bedding?

Farmers have successfully used alternative bedding materials in combination with straw.

And they have also mixed woodchip with peat to extend the bedding interval.

Peat should only be used as a short-term solution, where there is no viable alternative.

How do I use calf jackets and slats?

Rearing calves on plastic or hardwood slats, while keeping young calves warm by using calf jackets, may be a viable option for some farmers.

A calf jacket will cost about €30, which is reasonable, considering it takes one round bale of straw to rear a calf.

Each jacket could rear about three calves per year.

It is necessary to separate the calf from its faeces and urine, so slats are the preferred complementary housing option.

Research would indicate no scientific benefit from using calf jackets, although farmer feedback would suggest ‘a nice shine’ on calves for sale, after removal of the jackets.

Calf jackets need to be washable.

With slats, it is important that the fall in the floor is adequate to drain away urine, to avoid problems with ammonia gas.

Good ventilation and regular cleaning are critical with this system.

Calves reared on slats are also more prone to draughts.

There are many Irish companies making plastic slats.

They are not cheap but they will last for many years.

Timber slats made from hardwood may also be constructed (20-28 mm gaps, and 50-63 mm ribs, see Department of Agriculture Specification S124).