WATER-HOLDING CAPACITIES OE BEDDING MATERIALS FOR 
LIVE STOCK, AMOUNTS REQUIRED TO BED ANIMALS, AND 
AMOUNTS OE MANURE SAVED BY THEIR USE 
By J. W. Whissnand 
First Assistant in Animal Husbandry, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station 
For 25 years investigators and teachers have been expressing erro¬ 
neous conclusions as to the relative values of shavings, sawdust, and the 
straws for bedding live stock. These conclusions are based upon a table 
showing the relative liquid-absorbing capacities of various substances 
which appeared in 1893 (5). 1 This table, which follows, was adapted 
from Deherain (4). 
Absorption of liquids by litter 
Kind of litter. 
Water 
retained 
by 
100 kgm. of 
material 
after 24 
hours. 
Quantity of 
material 
necessary 
to replace 
100 kgm. 
of wheat 
straw. 
Wheat straw. 
Kgm, 
220 
Kgm, 
IOO 
77 
96 
136 
AO 
Barley straw... 
28s 
228 
Oat straw. 
Partially decomposed oak leaves. 
162 
Peat. 
500-700 
435 
400-500 
50 
Sawdust of poplar wood. 
50 
48 
440 
Spent tan bark. 
Air-dried vegetable mold. 
According to this table sawdust has almost twice the water-holding 
capacity of wheat or oat straw. Not only has this point been repeatedly 
referred to, but the conclusions have also been drawn that sawdust or 
shavings will go nearly twice as far as straw as bedding for live stock and 
will save a much larger portion of the liquid manure. 
The above table, or portions of it, have been copied in a number of 
publications (2, 3, 7). 
On the basis of these figures, the statement is made in Vermont Bulle¬ 
tin 206 that— 
Nine pounds of straw or six pounds of shavings are needed to absorb a cow’s 24 hour 
voidings. 
Special Circular n of the Dominion of Canada Experimental Farms 
(j) states concerning “dry sawdust and fine shavings'’ that— 
Their absorptive capacity according to fineness and dryness is from two to four 
times that of ordinary straw. 
1 Reference is made by number (italic) to “ literature cited,” p. 190 . 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
om (*87) 
Vol. XIV, No. 4 
July 22, 1918 
Key No. H 1.-8 
